


Chosen

by Artzenin



Category: Life Is Strange, Life Is Strange: Before The Storm
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Romance, Soulmatehood, parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-23 07:43:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 121,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11985324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artzenin/pseuds/Artzenin
Summary: Chloe was putting up posters one day on campus at Blackwell Academy, minding her own businesses and on whim, went into the girl's bathroom. It was there she saw her best friend Max get shot by Nathan Prescott in cold blood. Chloe is a lot things. A pot addict, social drinker, local trouble maker, the list goes on. A superhero with time power is never something she saw coming. Ever.





	1. Episode 1: Superhella To The Rescue (W)

**Disclaimer:** All rights reserved to the original owners, and business partners,[ DONTNOD ENTERTAINMENT](http://dont-nod.com/en/), and [SQUARE-ENIX.](https://square-enix-games.com/en_US) AW acknowledges  _[Life Is Strange](http://dont-nod.com/en/projects/) _ is not our work, and we have no legal rights over the story or the original characters. The only thing that we legally own is the plot ideas, and any OC we create. Also, for those who don't read the [Profile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artzenin/profile), the characters of the fan fictions are  _straight_. They have a pure affection for each other, but it doesn't develop into anything misleading or sexual. If you, the reader, cannot make that distinction, you are more than welcome to post a public question or send AW an email, and we will address the question or have Artzenin address the question herself. Pure affection isn't wrong, it isn't sinful, it's not a trend. It is not popular depending on where you live in the world, and people tend to associate any form of contact between members of the same, and opposite sex with sinful behavior the moment they see it. This company counters that with the non-sexual soulmate themes from start to finish. If this offends anyone of any race or sexual orientation you do not have to read this story or our other fan works. However if the reader chooses to stay and enjoys the non-sexual soulmate themes we use for fan fictions, then we highly recommend checking out our anime graphic novel series,  _Search For The Griffin._ This series will be released at Lulu this fall.

  
**—AW Staff**

 

* * *

  ****

 **Warning:**  Different Routes **=** different reading experiences!

 

 

 _Life Is Strange_  fanfiction,  _Chosen_ , is a story written based off the game with the same features and similar dialog, setting and actions from main characters both from  _Before The Storm_  and  _Life Is Strange_. Readers have the choice to choose between  **Wise**  and  **Reckless**. These two options are here for the reader to decide what he or she would prefer to see. What the reader decides to invest into will show the consequences throughout the fanfiction.  **Wise**  and  **Reckless**  choices are actions and decisions from the main protagonist and other characters connected to the main protagonist. Depending on what route you read, your experience will impact the past, present and future. 

 

* * *

**Monday, October 7th**

* * *

 

Chloe pulled her truck into Blackwell Academy's parking lot and did something David would scold her over later if he caught her doing it. Turing her truck at the end of a row, Chloe took up not one, but  _two_  parking spaces and wasn't the least bit concerned if it was going to be inconvenient for someone else later. Quite frankly there was only one thing on Chloe's mind at the moment and would forever be on her mind until physical proof of some kind surfaced and made itself known.

Rachel Amber.

Rachel was Chloe's world. Ever since Max had moved away and for whatever the reason, decided to cut Chloe out of her life, Chloe decided two could play that game. She plunged herself into rebellion and later on, met and became friends with Rachel for all the wrong and right reasons.  _How_  she could just suddenly up and disappear without a word threw Chloe for a loop but in spite of not understanding Rachel's reasons to leave Arcadia Bay,  _assuming_  that's exactly what she had done, Chloe had already made up her mind to search for Rachel, with or without the help of the police, with or without moral support from her family and distant friends.

"I hope you're okay Rachel." Chloe whispered to herself, reaching over and grabbing a small stack of "missing" posters she had made herself and printed off. "Don't worry Rachel. I haven't forgotten about you. Your parents might have, this town clearly doesn't give two figs anymore, but I won't stop. Not until..." Chloe trailed off and ran the tips of her fingers over the surface of the stack of papers, shuddering at the mental assumption of what could have happened to Rachel. Nowhere  _close_  to wanting to entertain such thoughts, Chloe gave her head a firm shake, grabbed the stack of papers, tucked them under her arm and hopped out of her truck. "Not until I find you. Period." Chloe muttered to herself as she sauntered lazily out of the parking lot, up the stairs and towards the entrance doors to the school building. 

Chloe stepped inside along with a crowd of students a moment later, completely self-absorbed in her mission and choosing to block out everyone swarming around her for the moment. 

 _David's not around. Good. That'll make my job easier. I don't see Principal_   _Wells either._ Chloe reached in her leather jacket's pocket and withdrew some Scotch's poster tape and gradually began to scope the area to determine where to hang the fliers. "Hmm, I think I'll put a few on the doors in the hallway, one on the pop machine and..." Chloe caught herself and stiffened catching sight of David coming around the corner. "Crap!"

Turning bluntly on her heel, Chloe made a break for the girl's restroom, roughly bumping a few students as she did so. She ignored their offended glares and shaking of heads and not once did it cross her mind to stop and say she was sorry. Too much work. Besides, if David caught her she'd be up the creek without a paddle and those two were already bucking heads and at each others throat enough as it was. The less Chloe had to deal with David, the less David would rage which would mean her mother wouldn't jump her but all of those minor details to the side, Chloe simply didn't want to get caught so she could keep putting posters up on campus.

"This wasn't exactly my first choice for poster pinning but I'm not going to risk getting caught and asked to leave again. Ugh. Now I actually regret getting expelled." Chloe surveyed the bathroom with hawk-like intensity as her eyes slanted in thought. "So, I guess this smelly dump will have to do. Now where to put these?"

Chloe took her time as she passed each stall and took a moment to think about where to hang a poster.

"Hmm." Chloe hummed softly, eyes searching the small space curiously. "I think this spot will do nicely."

Chloe had just stepped around the corner of the last stall and was making preparations to tape a poster on the side wall of that same stall when a blue jay flew through the half-cracked window and landed on the yellow mop bucket beside her. Chloe froze instinctively, knowing that any sudden movement would spook the timid creature. At first, Chloe stayed put and observed the bird, silently wondering why it wasn't reacting in fear or flapping its wings around widely in complaint of her standing there.

 ** _Whoa._** _That blue jay_   _is hella weird. Am I high or what? That thing literally looks like it's glowing. Can... Can animals **do**  that?_

The blue jay made perfect eye contact with Chloe and remained perched on the handle of the mop bucket. Every few seconds, it would cock its head and increase its stare. Chloe didn't know how to react to the blue jay nor was she able to keep clam under its cool gaze.

 _It's just... staring at me. Why? Why is it looking at me like that? It's almost like it's trying to tell me something._ Chloe carefully reached under her armpit, grabbed her posters, then bent over so she could place them neatly on the ground near the mop bucket. 

As she rose up, the blue jay decided to flap its wings fiercely but never did it break its stare with Chloe. Chloe of course, was completely dumbfounded at the blue jay's behavior and silently continued to stand there, forever lost to its mesmerizing features and the powerful flapping of its majestic wings. 

"This is too cool to pass up. I'm not one for photos but I want to snap this bird."

Hoping the blue jay would stay still a little while longer, Chloe reached in her pack jean's pocket and withdrew her smart phone. It took her few seconds to get the right angle but once she did, she snapped the blue jay and saved the image to her smart phone. Content, Chloe tucked her smart phone away and started to bend down to gather up her posters when she heard the door to the girl's bathroom open and the sounds of angry footsteps strike the tiled floor. Like a ninja, she quietly pressed her back against the stall's wall and carefully inched towards the end of the stall, not sure what to expect or  _who_  to see. The blue jay in the background remained put on the mop bucket's handle, its black beady eyes pinned on Chloe specifically and nothing else.

"It's cool Nathan. Don't stress... you're okay bro. Just count to three."

Chloe ever so slowly peered around the side of the stall wall hearing a familiar voice fill the room. Sure enough, when she stretched her neck far enough, she caught sight of none other than Nathan Prescott.

 _Nathan?!_ Chloe thought, eyes widening in shock. 

Mortified and overcome with panic, Chloe whipped her head back around and kept her hands firmly pressed on the stall wall for leverage support. It took everything in Chloe not to exhale hard through her nostrils and keep her breathing quiet and concealed, for she did not wish to be discovered by Nathan. But the more she listened to him mumble to himself, the more her mouth sagged in worry.

_What is that punk doing in the **girl's bathroom?!**  Dude I know he has some issues but this is just awkward. Even for me._

Chloe didn't want to keep spying on Nathan, but she was seriously having a hard time digesting what was happening. Minding her body movements, Chloe peeked back around the stall and cautiously took in Nathan's appearance. For a kid who was well off and could have everything at a snap of a finger, Nathan looked paler than usual and his overall behavior was jittery and nervous. It was almost like he was scared. Of what, Chloe did not know. But the way he paced around and breathed heavily made Chloe feel really uneasy and all at once, she wished that she hadn't walked into the girl's bathroom and had gotten caught by David instead.

"Don't be scared." Nathan told himself as he stepped toward the white sink and took hold of its edges. "You  _own_  this school. If I wanted, I could blow it up.  _You're_  the boss."

In the midst of her observation, Chloe's eyebrows shot up and her eyes went from narrow to wide seeing the bathroom door open a second time and a person step inside that she thought she'd never ever see again. There, with a shaken expression on her freckled face, stood Max Caulfield. The one and only, with what appeared to be camera bag strapped over her shoulder.

"Max...?" Chloe physically formed Max's name but was smart enough to not vocalize it.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Max had no idea what Nathan Prescott would possibly want to discuss with her. Apart from what might have happened last night at the Vortex Club party. Which for the record,  _she_  wanted to have no part of. But no, she trying to be the good friend and fit in with the big kids, gave into Dana's begging to go. And the only reason Dana pushed her, was because Hayden was  _dying_  to see Dana go to one of their parties and  _her_ , evidently. To this day, Max couldn't figure out why Hayden pressured Dana into talking her into going to a party. It was odd and made no sense to Max but for the sake of her struggling popularity, for the sake of her own reputation, Max caved and wound up going to the gathering. 

The party for the most part was okay if you want to count strip teasing, hookah weed pipes and wine coolers as the main attraction, then yeah, the party was a blast. By Max's standards, it was awful, cramped, too loud and not worth forcing herself to go. However, it was at that same party Max, being the curious child that she is, stumbled across something Nathan was doing with a tall, shady man who had a dog with him. What they passed in small bags between themselves was  _clearly_  drugs but Max wouldn't of thought witnessing a mere drug deal exchange would get her in trouble with Nathan or invited to talk to him in the girl's restroom.

 _Does this have something to do with... what happened last night?_ Max's eyes narrowed.  _Because if so, I **really**  don't want to be here._

As if Nathan could read Max's mind, Nathan let go of the sink and used one hand to reach inside his jersey's pocket. At first Max thought he was going to pay her off, like most desperate caught drug dealers attempt to do but then Max realized too late that it wasn't money Nathan had pulled out of his pocket, but a 9mm... and he was aiming it directly at her face. Max put her hands over her mouth and gasped, completely frozen by the uprising fear swelling in her chest. Chloe was stunned mute and just like Max, couldn't seem to get herself to speak up, hit the stall wall to create a distraction, etc. Nothing came to mind. Only Nathan and the silver gun he was pointing at Max.

"Listen here  _wench_. What you saw last night, you're going to  _forget_ as of right now. Got it? You don't tell the principal, your peers, the police, your parents, nobody! Or I'll destroy you!"

Max trembled in place and through no fault of her own, physically started to back away from Nathan, hands moving away from her mouth and towards the door handle behind her. This action upset Nathan. Fearing she was going to make a break for it and run her mouth, Nathan stormed up to Max and Max stopped trying to escape. She held her ground then found herself abruptly shoved against the wall near the bathroom door as Nathan used his slightly towering frame to trap her against it. Max eyes widened when Nathan leaned forward so they were nose-to-nose and felt him roughly push the barrel of the gun up under her rib cage.

"N-Nathan stop. I haven't told anyone about what happened, o-okay? But you need to put the gun down before you do something you'll regret." Max tried to sound calm, but she wasn't sure she was doing such a good job at it. 

Nathan's commanding presence, with a gun intact, was very dazzling and tore Max's nerves all to pieces. Nathan was far too blinded by his unstable emotions to care. He disregarded the breaking in Max's voice, overlooked how tears were forming in her scared eyes and just kept on threatening her.

"You're so nosy Max! You couldn't leave well enough alone could you?! You just had to go out back behind the school and find us. Nobody... nobody would even miss your geeky stupid face, would they?!" Nathan growled, his voice low and quite dangerous. 

All the more reason for Chloe to react and do something but she was right there with Max. Scared, and paralyzed with fear of what Nathan was going to do.

"I said I wasn't going to tell anybody. You really need to put the gun down and get help Nathan because I promise you, if you don't you're going to get into more trouble over  _this_  than some stupid drug deal, so just-"

"Shut up!"

Max balked at the abrasive tone came out of Nathan's mouth and she stood there, pinned to the wall listening to how he felt about her and her alone but even in middle hearing the verbal abuse come from him, Max tried her best to reason with Nathan. Max trying to help him calm down and gently encourage him to seek professional help did nothing for Nathan. In fact, it only made him want to shoot her more... so that's exactly what he did.

"I don't answer to you Max! And you know what? No one else should have to answer to you either. I'll be doing Blackwell a favor getting rid of a pest like you!"

"Get that gun away from me! Nat-"

Max was brutally cut off by the sound of the gun going off in her ear and the feeling of hot, metallic fire forcing its way into her heart. The sensitive organ was already freaking out because of stress, now it had a bullet inside of it that was still spinning around in place, marking its presence and increasing damage along the way. It was during that brief moment as Nathan stepped back and thrust his gun to the side Max slowly began to slide down to the floor, grabbing at her bleeding chest when she saw a girl with blue, defined hair in a black leather jacket burst around the corner of the last stall, one arm outstretched, and fingers parted in desperation as a big, loud cry burst out of her mouth, and sounded throughout the entire space.

" _Max! No!_ "

 

* * *

 

Chloe sat still, blinking rapidly, hands gripping the steering wheel in the exact same position from before. Seeing her best friend get shot, Chloe didn't notice the tears streaming down her face or the small quivering of her chin. When the initial shock wore off, Chloe reached up and covered her face with her hands, trying to take everything in. How could that be? She had already done this action. Twenty minutes ago, to be exact, so why wasn't she in the bathroom?

"Whoa! What the what?!" Chloe pulled her beanie cap off and sunk her nails into her hair, struggling to understand and make sense of the situation. "What is going on?"

Chloe doubled over, suddenly dangerously nauseous to her stomach but knowing full well it was just her nerves and the slow reality of realizing that she somehow, someway, rewound time. That by itself was enough to make her scream and have an emotional break down right there in the parking lot.

"Okay. Calm down Chloe. I'm not losing it, I'm perfectly sane and..." Trailing off, Chloe dared to straighten up and glance out her window just to see if the same cars were present and the same group of students lounging outside were getting up to head inside because a few minutes from now, the bell for their classes was going to ring. 

Chloe's stomach lurched seeing the cars, but she almost definitely hurled when she spotted each and every student scatter like ants and head for the front doors when the bell rang loud and signalized its purpose.

"Crap."

Convinced she was either messed up from too much weed or truly could rewind time, Chloe grabbed her beanie, put it on, left her posters on the seat, rushed out of the truck and ran into the school. She passed the same students all over again and made sure not to apologize if she bumped again but not for the same reasons as before. Chloe was solely focused on testing something and if her theory was right,  _time_  was everything and every second she wasted doing other things, something else was going happen elsewhere. This much Chloe was putting together and if possible, wanted to counter. Max was in danger and Chloe was the only in the entire building who  _knew_  that, therefore she was the only one who could help Max if her theory was correct.

"Come on, come on. Come on David, where are you?"

Chloe glanced around and for the first moment in their history, openly wanted David to hound on her and purposely stopped in the very spot she remembered seeing David roll around the corner. Sure enough, ten seconds later, David made his rounds and headed in Chloe's direction. Instead of freaking and running to the girl's bathroom like before, Chloe remained put and  _let_  David see her. Naturally, when David's eyes rested on his step-daughter, his firm expression darkened.

"Chloe!" David barked. "What are you doing here? Are you causing trouble again?!" David demanded, walking powerfully over to Chloe. 

Unfazed by his anger, Chloe stood there and waited for him to draw closer.

"For crying out loud how many times do I have to tell you.  _Stay off school grounds_. You were expelled!"

Just having David come towards her and rant was more than enough proof. The bigger test of faith was raising the same arm and doing whatever it was that got her back in her truck.

"Here goes nothing."

Just as David was about to grab Chloe by her shoulders, Chloe closed her eyes and waited and waited some more. When she dared to crack one eye open, she was right back in her truck in the park lot for the third time that day.

"Amaze balls." Chloe whispered, breathless at what had just transpired in a matter of minutes or was it seconds? 

Chloe couldn't quite tell. One thing she knew for sure is, she needed to take a moment to absorb what was happening. Releasing a shaky breath, Chloe let go of the steering wheel and eased back into her seat. It wasn't even a full minute later, Chloe leaned forward with her hand on the door handle of her truck.

"I have super powers. I, Chloe Price, have magical power, and I'm gonna use it to save Max!"

Chloe had every right to be cross with Max for bailing on her for five years. It bothered Chloe to find out that Max had been home for God knows how long and  _still_  didn't bother to pick up the phone or send her a text, but you know what? Screw it. She could yell at Max and make her feel two millimeters tall  _after_  she got out of the truck and saved her from Nathan.

 


	2. Episode 2: Sidekick (W)

  **Monday, October 7th**

* * *

 

Chloe did not walk. She straight up ran into the school, down the hallway and into the girl's bathroom. She was practically huffing like a savage by the time she got to the end of the stall. Putting her hands on her hips, Chloe tipped her head back and took in some long breaths, struggling to quiet her breathing.

 ** _Man_  ** _am I outta shape. I need to lay off the weed and the munchies if this keeps up._ Centering herself, Chloe took one last big gulp of air then gradually exhaled slowly through her nostrils.  _Okay Chloe. This stuff is really happening. If I focus on how and why, I'm gonna freak myself out and I need to focus on saving Max first. So I need to retrace every step. Lemme see here..._ Chloe whirled around and walked backwards to the door, making sure to take mental notes of her progress.  _I came into the bathroom, passed the window and then a-_

As Chloe was walking and thinking these things, the blue jay she snapped flew in through the window and landed on the mop bucket behind the stall.

_That blue jay came in and I took a photo on my phone._

Chloe quickly approached the blue jay on the mop bucket and reached for her smart phone. She swiftly withdrew and took the shot in the exact same angle like before. Afterwards, she clutched at her beanie and quietly began to pace back and forth behind the stall. Nathan hadn't shown up yet and she was getting restless. Chloe wanted to stop Nathan from shooting Max as quickly as possible, the question was how was she going to do it without exposing herself and risk getting shot herself? If she died, good-bye time powers and if that happened, Max would also die and that was something Chloe didn't want to see happen. Not again.

 _I can do this. I have power._ Chloe stopped pacing and stood directly in front of the fire alarm and stared down at the hand she used to rewind time with. She flexed the fingers gently, amazed that under her pale skin was some kind of supernatural force of nature, just waiting to be released. "I can do this." Chloe peeked her head around the stall. There was still no sign of Nathan or Max. Sighing, Chloe returned to her hiding spot behind the stall, her expression unreadable. "Nah. I  _have_  to do this. My best friend's life is on the line." Chloe pushed her bangs out of her eyes and placed her free hand over her chest.  _This is... dude, I dunno how to explain how I feel right now. I tested it three different times and each time I did it, everything was reversed. I have to save her. I just have to. If I fail and lose Max on top of Rachel I dunno what I'll do. I-_

Chloe's distressed thoughts were cut off by the sharp hissing of Nathan's voice.

"Listen here  _wench_. What you saw yesterday night, you're going to  _forget_ as of right now. Got it? You don't tell the principal, your peers, the police, your parents, nobody! Or I'll destroy you!"

Hearing the threat made the hair rise on the back of Chloe's neck. Fearful of what was going to happen next, Chloe blinked and carefully stole a glance around the wall then snapped her face forward when she saw Nathan and Max by the sinks.

_I got so side tracked I didn't even hear them come in!_

Even though Chloe couldn't see Max at the moment, Chloe was certain this was the part where Max flipped out and tried her best to get away from Nathan. Or would have until he decided to trap her.

_Oh this sucks! Come on! Come on! I need to act fast before he pulls the trigger on Max!_

Chloe's eyes desperately darted around the tight confined space but she couldn't see anything that could help her. Then it dawned on her that she could use the fire alarm as a means of distraction which might give Max some extra time to get away from Nathan.

"N-Nathan stop. I haven't told anyone about what happened, o-okay? But you need to put the gun down before you do something you'll regret."

Knowing what was about to come, Chloe sank to her knees and could physically feel herself starting to break into a cold sweat.  _Sweet mother of...! Come on! What's the use of having this power if I can't save Max?!_

The blue jay was quietly perched on the edge of the mop bucket, watching Chloe frantically look around for something to use. Taking pity on her, the blue jay flew down to the floor and twitched its tail feathers at the sole bottom of the mop bucket. Chloe saw it do this and was unsure of what it was trying to do and just as she was about to reach out and dismiss the creature, her eyes caught glimpse of what appeared to be a handle. It was shadowed by the bottom of the mop bucket but that didn't matter. 

Without even thinking, she quietly pushed the mop bucket back and her entire face lit up seeing the blunt mallet laying on the floor.  _Haha! Hella yes! Now that's what I'm talking about!_

"You're so nosy Max! You couldn't leave well enough alone could you?! You just had to go out back behind the school and find us. Nobody... Nobody would even miss your geeky stupid face would they?!"

"I said I wasn't going to tell anybody. You really need to put the gun down and get help Nathan because I promise you, if you don't you're going to get into more trouble over  _this_  than some stupid drug deal, so just-"

"Shut up!"

Chloe snatched up the mallet hammer, rose up and quickly stepped toward the cased fire alarm.  _You're not taking her from me today Prescott._ With a look of sheer determination on her face, Chloe moved her arm back as far as it could go, bracing herself for an impact.

"I don't answer to you Max! And you know what? No one else should have to answer to you either. I'll be doing Blackwell a favor getting rid of a pest like you!"

As much as Chloe wanted to grunt as she smashed the glass and pulled the fire alarm, she resisted. Once the glass case was shattered, she reached in between the jagged edges and pulled the latch down so fast, Nathan's progress on using the gun was delayed.

"Get that gun away from me! Nat-"

Instead of a gunshot cutting Max off, it was the unexpected explosion of the fire alarm. Nathan jerked away from Max, startled by the loud ringing coming from the speaker system.

"No way."

Max used the confusion to her advantage and did something bold. She kicked Nathan between his legs. It was the only thing that came to mind that she thought would stun him long enough for her to get away from him. Not expecting to be struck in such a sensitive area of his body, Nathan dropped the gun and hit the floor. He growled through his teeth, glaring daggers up at Max's retreating form.

"You're crazy! S-Stay away from me!"

Max managed to ground out before staggering out of the bathroom and into the hallway. Chloe remained hidden until Nathan recovered and was able to walk. He tucked his gun away, scrambled to his feet, muttering angrily to himself as he did so.

"Arrgh. Another crappy day."

When the door closed, Chloe knew it was safe to come out. She bit her lower lip and stood there, clinging to the edge of the stall wall, unable to do anything else.  _Did that... seriously just happen? It did, right? I rewound time and saved my best friend from getting shot by Nathan? What is going on here? Okay Chloe, chillax. Do not lose your mind just yet. Let's get outside and make sure this is really happening first._

Struggling to shake off her rising fear over what she had just done, Chloe cautiously exited the bathroom. So frazzled was she and in a hurry to leave, she didn't notice that the blue jay had flown out the window and left her.

 

* * *

    

Just as Chloe was coming out of the bathroom, she lifted her gaze and froze on the spot. It didn't take Chloe long to blend in with the crowd of fleeing students. A little fluff of her collar, dipping her head and making sure she walked fast did wonders. Once Chloe was safely outside on the steps, she glanced over her shoulder and watched David walk up to Max and jab his finger into her shoulder. They were in the middle of the hallway, talking about something and from the looks of it, David was being his usual bullying self and harassing poor defenseless students. Like Max. It made Chloe's blood boil seeing David grill Max like that but rather Max take the heat then herself. It wasn't right on her part but Chloe found herself walking further down the steps and to her truck in the parking lot. She knew if she stayed behind and allowed David to find her the day wouldn't end well for either of them and Chloe was certain their conversation would get heated pretty fast. It always did. Reason number 365 why she wanted to escape Arcadia Bay. David wouldn't be there and she wouldn't have to brace herself for a fight every time she turned around and did something.

"I'll make it up to you Max, I swear. I just... need some time to figure out what's going on with me." Chloe muttered, suddenly overcome by the start of a painful headache. 

Of all the students going towards the parking lot, of all the people who could bump into Chloe at that precise moment, it had to be Nathan Prescott. Chloe was fairly stout and above height for a girl her age. Nathan was shorter and evidently, weaker. When they ran into each other, Chloe didn't fall over from the collision like Nathan had but she did stagger and sway a little bit, much to her distaste.

"Ugh! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" Nathan barked, springing to his feet at alarming speed. Frowning, Chloe squinted her eyes, trying to adjust her focus. Her vision blared slightly then returned normal.

"Nathan?" Chloe whispered, hating how faint and weak she sounded.

Chloe shook her head in attempt to clear it and tried really hard to appear like she fine. She wasn't feeling the greatest but it wasn't like the impact offset her balance. For some reason, the headache was messing with Chloe's senses and had increased dramatically in the past several seconds when it first started to bother her.

"This day just keeps getting better and better. First that nerd gets in my way and now  _you?_ "

Raising an eyebrow, Chloe leveled her gaze with the unstable teen and assessed his mood. Nathan was angry and clearly not afraid to express himself. That and he had a gun. Chloe wanted to believe he was smart enough to keep it concealed where they were in the open and there were students walking around. That's logic but Nathan didn't run on logic. He ran on impulses and his emotions, which made him unpredictable and very dangerous.

"Hello Nathan. Nice to see you to."

Chloe crossed her arms and her expression darkened. Nathan noticed the change but paid very little attention to it. Chloe couldn't help it. Nathan just tried to kill Max, the one person who Chloe considered sacred, despite their falling out and non-communication over the past five years. Max was still Chloe's best friend and Nathan threatened her. Actually, he straight up killed her. Chloe understood that she rewound time and prevented this from happening to Max but rewinding time didn't seem to erase her memories of the event like it did for the other people involved. Nathan was a foul memory and given with Chloe's current sullen state, she wasn't exactly glad to see him. Under normal circumstances, she would be. She did after all, ask to arrange to speak with Nathan at some point that day on campus concerning a little incident that took place at a bar. The plan was to blackmail him and force him to pay up. If he didn't, she'd simply expose him for the shady drug dealer he was and then some. Nathan was aware that Chloe knew these secrets about his private life, just like she was aware Nathan knew about her side "hobbies" and the people she hung out with. Rachel Amber, being one of those people and all the dark scandals connected to her.

"Are you here for what I think you're here for?"

The question came seemingly out of nowhere and it completely rubbed Chloe the wrong way. It was the way he said, like he was prepared for her and ready to attack her if needed. That didn't make Chloe feel safe at all. Pushing back her fear, Chloe stepped in and Nathan took a defined step back. She smirked, taking some small satisfaction from his reaction to her presence.

"Once upon a time yes, but something came up, and I won't be to talk bid-ness with you today. Lucky you, you're off the hook." Chloe's smug smile stretched and turned into a menacing grin. Seeing it, Nathan swallowed an unexpected lump in his throat. "For now. But I'll contact you again and we'll finish this."

Nathan didn't like being told what to do or over powered by people. Especially women. Squaring his lean shoulders, he ignored the other students, the security cameras and zoned in on Chloe and her alone.

"You know what? Screw you. I don't have to take this from you."

Before Chloe could react, Nathan pulled out his 9mm and aimed the barrel directly at his forehead. If Chloe was going to be honest with herself in that moment, she wanted to panic and run away. But if she did that with her back turned, he'd have a easy shot and there was no way of telling it Nathan would be satisfied with just one round. The crazed look in his eyes suggested he'd go farther.

"You said you wanted to talk to me earlier. So what do you want? Out with it!"

"Are you hella stupid or just desperate to go to jail? Nathan, you are aware there's surveillance and people all over the perimeter, right? Are we really gonna do this here?" Chloe asked, narrowing her eyes at the same time as Nathan. 

Chloe could stand her ground fairly easy but she was forcing herself to sound tough and look twice as scary as Nathan did with his little toy. It wasn't easy, but it was better then letting him think that he had the upper hand over her emotional state.

"Answer me Price!" Nathan barked, not caring if the tone of his voice was rising and other people could hear him. At this point, he just wanted everything to go away and for all the people who angered him to die.

"'Alright then. You got hella cash, and I want it."

Nathan glared, and aimed the gun that much more at Chloe's forehead.

"That's my family. Not me."

Unimpressed, Chloe rolled her eyes and threw her arms up in frustration. "Oh boo-hoo. Poor little rich kid." 

Chloe knew it wasn't wise to provoke Nathan but she couldn't stop herself. She lost her fear and replaced it with the rage she felt towards him for what he did to Max and what he was doing currently to her.

"I know you've been pump'n drugs n' crap to the kids around here..." Chloe let the words sink in, nice and slow. Shaking his head nervously, Nathan opened his mouth to say something in his defense but Chloe deliberately cut him off with another insult. "I bet your respectful family would help me out if I went to them. Man I can see the headlines now."

Nathan gripped the handle of the gun, and found himself walking backwards. "Leave them out of this, wench!"

Chloe pressed on and forgot about being on the receiving end of a barrel. Her aggravation at the situation was clouding her judgment and she felt herself losing control of the outcome but she no longer cared. All that mattered was winning the argument and making Nathan regret the day he thought he could take photos of her in his room and get a high off of it. 

Eyes slotting in anger, Chloe stormed up to him and shoved Nathan, causing him to stumble and lose his balance. "I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a  _punk_ who begs like a little girl, and  _talks_  to himself-"

Chloe wasn't allowed to go further. Nathan's gunshot silenced her and rang throughout the entire parking lot. The effects of the shot echoed off the brick walls and filled the atmosphere. Birds cried out and flew from the trees and Chloe stood still, unsure of what happened. Obviously, Nathan fired the gun. Chloe felt the bullet zip past her cheek and scrape the skin and blood immediately formed and began to drip out of cut. Nathan tossed the gun at Chloe's feet and ran. Chloe blinked, coming out of her daze and couldn't help but wonder why he turned tail and left without warning.

"Chloe! What have you done?!" David's booming voice cut through the silence like a whip. Chloe whirled around, reading herself for another rough encounter with her step-father.

"David." Chloe waved her hand, dismissing him. "Not now. I'm not in the mood to buck heads with you-"

The words died in Chloe's throat as her eyes fell on the person at the top of the stairs. Nathan's bullet grazed her cheek and missed her but pierced Max in the shoulder instead. Max was on her knees, grabbing at her shoulder and tears were running down her face as sobs racked her frail body. Chloe's eyes slowly widened and her entire world just stopped. David and some of the Blackwell security guards were coming towards Chloe and none of them looked happy, especially David. One security guard went over to Max and knelt down by her while another got on his radio and contacted the main office, requesting that someone call for an ambulance. As David and his men drew closer, it dawned on Chloe why Nathan threw the gun at her feet. He wanted her to be his scapegoat and now it was too late to say or do anything to convince David otherwise. Chloe took a cautious step back but the look on David's face told her if she attempted to run, it would not end well for her. Overwhelmed, in shock and strangely exhausted, Chloe did what any superhero would do in unexpected turn of events...

She raised her hand and rewound time.

_Come on, come on. Whatever you are hurry up and do you thing before David tears me a new one._

Chloe didn't understand the time power or how she was accessing it the way she was. She was grateful that it kicked in and forced the event to reset. The burn in her arm was similar to how one's body would feel when they pushed their muscles too hard. The arm began to tremble and instantly, Chloe felt the discomfort spread in her mind. There were points where Chloe didn't fully rewind and time simply froze. That freaked her out and she pushed herself to focus harder, hoping it would correct the time freeze. It worked but it cost her. When time resumed, Chloe was at the bottom of the staircase, ten steps away from bumping into Nathan.

"Ohh man. I don't... feel... so hot." Chloe grabbed at her head and swayed around against her will. She stumbled over her own feet and would of fallen down the stairs but she managed to reach out and latch onto the rail for support. "I. Am. Going. To. Hurl."

Chloe turned in, opened her mouth, and leaned over the rail. She opened her mouth, feeling herself about to puke when Max spotted her preparing to get sick all over Blackwell's steps. Concerned, Max jogged over to the top of the stairs. There, she softly called out to Chloe.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

Fearing Chloe was about to get sick, Max cautiously made her way down the stairs. When she was close enough to Chloe, she placed her hand on Chloe's lower back, just in case Chloe did get sick and wound up puking her guts up. Feeling the soft pressure and the tender rubbing trail up and down her back, Chloe slowly raised her head and craned her neck around. Their eyes met and that was all it took for Chloe to panic. Twice today she had saved Max's life. Twice she came to losing her. Five years of silence was awful and their friendship suffered dearly for it but Chloe didn't care about those thing anymore. She needed to touch Max. Feel her and make sure she was really there.

"M-Max?"

Max's eyes widened hearing the familiar tone in the rock punker girl's voice. "Wait. Chloe?" Arching an eyebrow, Max squinted her eyes. "Chloe Price? Is that... you?"

Chloe left the question go unanswered. Summoning up the remaining energy she had left, Chloe weakly eased off the rail and slumped against Max. She buried her face in the nape of Max's neck and wrapped her arms around Max's shoulders, pulling her impossibly closer.

"Oh God. You're really here. Ohhh you're here and you're alive! Max... oh Max. I'm so happy you're okay and not-"

Chloe didn't finish her sentence. Her soft sobs of joy drowned out anything else she had to say. Stunned, Max stood there, wide-eyed, jaw hung open.

"Umm. I'm glad I'm alive too?" Max pressed her lips together, unsure of what she should say. 

Max tried to return the firm hug Chloe was giving her but in the end, all she did was drop her arms and stand there in a stupid trance. Max was glad to see Chloe again, even if she didn't fully recognize who she was and originally thought Chloe was a shady drug dealer or gang a member of some kind. And even if that wasn't the case, Chloe's overall mannerisms weren't wrong but they didn't seem to fit the dreaded reunion Max had pictured in her mind. To Max, she had done wrong and knew she was in trouble due to lack of communication. Yet, there they were, in each other's arms, standing together on the staircase outside of Blackwell Academy and Chloe acting like Max had done nothing wrong.

"Hey. Maybe we should get off the stairs?" Max softly suggested seeing Justin, Trevor, and their group of skaters headed in their direction. "Uhh, I think Justin, and his crew want to thrash."

Hearing a skater term fall from Max's lips made Chloe laugh. It was quiet and a bit strained but still the same way Max remembered it. Her warm breath tickled Max's skin and she squirmed from the sensation it created, but made no move to break their embrace.

"Nice to see you picked up on some slang while you were away."

Max didn't want to kill the mood but Justin was making it a note that he wanted the stairs so she turned her head and whispered against Chloe's ear, "Let's go somewhere and catch up. Can we go to my room?"

Chloe was so happy to have Max alive and with her, Chloe was willing to do whatever Max asked of her.

"Sure." Nodding, Chloe let go of Max but no sooner after she did this, she saw a vision of tornado blind her eyes. It was so intense, it physically caused her to pass out. Chloe's grip on Max loosened, her legs gave out and she collapsed.

"Chloe!"

Max caught Chloe right before she hit the bottom of the staircase. Justin saw Chloe go down and started to head over to see if Max needed help but Max was already dragging Chloe off to the side and over to quiet area under a few trees. Content that Max was all right, he turned to Trevor and their friends and together, they began to set up a course so they could skate. Max sat down with her legs stretched out and carefully situated Chloe beside her, then gently guided Chloe's head down to her lap. She tossed the beanie off to the side so she could run her fingers through the blue tassels, thinking the petting would sooth Chloe and possibly snap her back awake. Max didn't move, even after most of the students got up and departed for other places, she stayed put under the tree and waited for Chloe to wake up, whenever that would be. Max couldn't be sure. All she knew was she wasn't going to leave Chloe's side. She had done that for five years and didn't want to create more gaps in the friendship, so she remain put and lazily played with her hair and wondered just what was it that Chloe ate or did, that would result in making her pass out like that.

 

* * *

   

"Whatis going on now?"

Chloe was steeped from the downpour of rain and her clothes were being violently ruffled by the wind. She turned around and glanced around, making a show of the area. She was at the lighthouse, on top of the hill by a bench. The very lighthouse that used to serene as a hideout for her and Max when they were kids. She wasn't sure what was going on or what she was seeing. Everything was so surreal. The sound of the howling wind, the terrifying effects of the lighting that crackled through sky and the tornado itself was insane. She could even feel the electricity in the air and smell the salt of the raging ocean filling her nostrils every time she took a breath.

"What the?"

Chloe saw a stunning, blue butterfly appear in front of her out of thin air. It was faded, not completely whole but visible enough that she could see it. Chloe reached out to touch it but the blue butterfly flapped its wings and moved out of her reach. It kept flying until it landed on the monument. Chloe followed it over to the monument and caught sight of a newspaper. The blue butterfly crawled over to it and its wings slowly fell down and remained like so.

"Do you want me to look at it?" Chloe lifted up a arm and tried to block the intensity of the wind. She grabbed the newspaper and read what was on the front page. "October 11th?" Chloe spared a glance up at the tornado then glanced back down at the front cover of the newspaper. "Dude! That's this Friday!"

Chloe wanted to read more of the column, to see what might have brought on such a destructive force of power but the wind blew again and forced the newspaper out of her hand.

"Oh no. It's headed straight for the town." Chloe put both hands over her mouth as she stood there, powerless to stop the tornado from destroying the town and all who lived there.

"What is this?" Chloe asked this question and received no answer. 

Just more devastating footage of the tornado sweeping across the shoreline and into the town. She heard people screaming, cries of the people, both young and old. Sirens sounded off in the distance, lights lit up the sky but no matter how many people Chloe saw trying to get up and find shelter, no one was able to escape the storm.


	3. Episode 3: Listen (W)

**Monday, October 7th**

* * *

 

The longer Chloe stood on the hill and observed the madness from the storm, the worse her despair grew. Her heart swelled, tears mixed in with the rain and no matter how much she tried to make the vision stop, it continued to play and keep her entranced. Chloe was forced to watch the storm breech the shoreline and destroy all of Arcadia Bay. She wanted to look away, but she just couldn't find the strength to do it.

"What is this supposed to mean?"

Chloe half spoke, half sobbed the words.

" _Why_  am I seeing all of this? Is this even real or am I dreaming it?"

Chloe stepped away from the cliff's edge and as she did this, a girl approached her silently from behind. The girl reached out and placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder. The nails of the girl were painted black and she bore a distinctive blue jay earning. Chloe's body turned around on its own. Mainly out of fear of getting jumped or hurt by something or someone. Who Chloe saw staring at her, made Chloe's fill with tears all over again.

"R... Rachel?"

Lowering her hand, Rachel stood there, soaked in the rain and said nothing, much to Chloe's disappointment.

"What are you doing here?"

Rachel remained silent and continued to survey Chloe with a pained expression.

"And where exactly is "here" anyway? I don't think I'm really at the lighthouse so what is all this? Where are we?"

Instantly Rachel frowned, and her face was full of regret, guilty looking almost and Chloe couldn't understand why Rachel would react to her questions in this manner or why she wasn't willing to speak to her.

"Rachel?"

Chloe echoed, waiting for her to say something. When Chloe received no response from Rachel, she pushed through her confusion and reached out to Rachel, needing to embrace her. If Rachel wasn't going to talk, surely she'd be open to a brief reunion? Managing to crack a faint smile, Rachel stretched out both of her arms. The moment the under palms of their hands pressed together and their fingers laced, Rachel finally opened her mouth and said her name so proudly, it made Chloe's heart race and pound with excitement.

"Chloe..."

Rachel stepped in at same time as Chloe and nuzzled her in greeting. Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Chloe prodded Rachel back as she desperately and greedily wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist. Raising own arms up, Rachel hugged Chloe just as close and just as hard. No sooner after the girls decided to lean back and gaze at each other, the vision ended, and Chloe's eyes snapped wide open, leaving her alone and without answers.

"Rachel!"

Chloe exclaimed, tears still fogging her vision. Feeling them spill from the corner of her lids and run down her cheeks, Chloe sat up in a bed, panting and drenched in sweat. She didn't know when Max had moved her from outside into her dorm room. Honestly? She didn't care. All Chloe cared about was what she had just seen and was frustrated at herself for thinking that she had found Rachel, even if the setting was inappropriate and didn't make any sense. Rachel made sense and she was literally right there, standing in front of her. Or was she just a figment Chloe forced into the vision, so she wouldn't feel alone on the cliff? It was hard to say. Chloe was already confused about a few things, including her newly acquired gift. Seeing Rachel like that, at the lighthouse while a storm wrecked their hometown only made things worse.

"Oh Rachel..."

Chloe whispered, bowing her head sadly. Sniffing, Chloe quickly wiped the remainder of her tears from her eyes then hugged herself, thinking she could create her own moral support system if she hugged herself long enough. Taking a few cautious breathes, Chloe glanced around the dark room, expecting to see another figure in bed with her.

Like Rachel.

Before Rachel disappeared, those two were joined at the hip. Granted, in the beginning stages of their friendship they had many moments where they argued, and Rachel had secrets that she kept from Chloe that defiantly was hurting the trust factor. In time, Rachel learned to depend on Chloe and Chloe to Rachel and the two had been inseparable ever since. Even though Rachel had a dorm room at Blackwell, she would spend the night at Chloe's house on and off and usually, slept together on Chloe's bed. It was only natural for Chloe to think after seeing Rachel like that, that she would still be there, nestled up behind her, holding her protectively while they slept off their highs from weed or from drinking too much.

 _That was so hella intense. Everything, even Rachel just felt so..._ ** _real._** Chloe looked down at herself, feeling a different kind emotion. Anger, and lots of it. She grunted, trying to shake away the shock of the dream. No, shock wasn't the right word. Cruel irony was more like it. "It didn't mean anything. What I saw was messed up, a result of my weed binge last night and there's no way this Friday something that terrible is going to bomb this place." She grumbled, sliding off the bed and putting shaky legs on the floor. "Max? Are you here?"

Silence greeted her. Chloe sighed and made quick show of glancing around the room. If she had to take an educated guess, she reasoned Max was visiting another girl in their room or she was out and about doing something by herself. Either way, Max wasn't in the room with her. Maybe it was better that way? They had an awkward encounter and an even weirder conversation. Max didn't have to tell Chloe she was freaking her out. Her feelings were written across her face. At least Max helped her over to the grass and allowed her to rest up some. As much as Chloe wanted to talk to Max and catch up, she needed to sort through... well... everything that had transpired in the past few hours of her life. She couldn't do this in the dorm. No, no. She needed someplace that would force her to face her fears. She needed to be around someone who would listen to her talk and not judge her for it. Chloe needed to get it out, just say it. Kick, scream, throw stuff and let her body adjust to what was happening.

"This blows. I have to release this. I'm gonna go crazy if I don't." Chloe looked down at herself again. She had sweated so hard, she was a little grungy. Lifting her head, she exhaled slowly, and cocked an eyebrow. " _After_  I go home and take a shower."

Chloe went over to Max's computer desk and found some sticky notes. She wrote her a brief message, explaining that something had come up and she needed to bounce but would hook up with her tomorrow at Two Whales Diner, stating that she would like to start over and explain her actions from earlier. Chloe re-read the message then nodded, content with herself. "Alright. That should do the trick."

Spotting her beanie and jacket on the couch, Chloe went over to it, picked up the items and put them on. It was really hot outside, but she was rarely seen without some kind of extra layer of clothing. Hoodies, jackets, sweat shirts, there was always something cover her under shirts. Later, after her shower, she would decide if it was wise to keep the jacket on or go out without it.

Chloe could hear the loud chatter of the dorm and certain people she knew in the back ground. That unfortunately, included people like Victoria Chase. Rolling her eyes, Chloe opened the door and stepped out into the hallway at the same time as Victoria. Frowning, Chloe let go of the handle and let the thick door slam shut behind her. Sensing Chloe's rising aggression, Victoria took a defensive pose as she crossed her arms and gave her the once over. She could smell Chloe's unique scent of cigarettes and weed. It was  _repulsive_. Her rocker punk style was  _repulsive_. Chloe Price’s face was  _repulsive_. There was literally nothing attractive about the other girl standing across the hallway from her that Victoria could praise and even if there was, she wouldn't give Chloe the satisfaction of knowing it.

Even when Chloe was attending Blackwell and was dressing somewhat better and hanging out with popular kids from the Vortex Club, Victoria disapproved of Chloe's presence each and every time. The only good thing Chloe had going on for herself was Rachel and Rachel was missing and no longer a student at Blackwell. Hence is why Victoria wanted to go out of her way to learn why Chloe was in the dorms.

"Isn't it against the school code to allow expelled students on campus?"

Chloe glowered hatefully at Victoria as she put one hand on her hip. "Isn't it against mother nature's wishes for losers like you to exist on campus?"

Victoria scoffed, not terribly surprised that was all Chloe could throw at her. "Very funny Price. If you're done taking up space, could you please leave? Max would like her room back."

 _Max? Hmm... so that's where she went. Wow, is she so desperate for friends that she would go to Victoria? Or is she just using Victoria's room as a convenient hang out while I was sleeping?_ "Did Max say she wanted her room back or are you just saying that to start drama between us? FYI, that wouldn't be a promising idea Chase. Max and I have enough problems going on in our friendship without you prying into it Chase.”

Victoria frowned. “Meaning what?”

“I'm trying to civilly hint that you need to stay out of our business, okay? Just in case you missed the message."

Victoria pressed her lips firmly together and gave Chloe another degrading judgment with her eyes. "I don't know what you're referring to. All I know was my yoga session was ruined because she claimed things were awkward between the two of you and she couldn't handle it at the moment. Something about expecting a brutal lashing but got the opposite and now she's confused. Pfft. Whatever is up with you guys, you can keep your drama. She wouldn't tell me why she needed to leave her room and get away from you, but for her to come knocking on  _my_  door and ask to use  _my_  room as a temporarily unit, says a lot."

"Was that so weird? Her asking to crash at your pad? Don't you guys believe in slumber parties anymore or is your high class too good for that now?"

Victoria's mouth twitched at Chloe's comeback. "Look. Max, and I aren't exactly..." Victoria took a moment to look up at the ceiling as she searched for the right words to say. When she figured out what she was going to do, she leveled her gaze with the other teen once again. "Let me back up and start over. I'm grateful that she helped me earlier today when I had that paint spill. She set you off to the side, because you were still passed out and she brought me a towel before my real friends did. She went so far as to comfort me and compliment my taste in fashion and my sharp eye for photos, but nowhere did that make us friends of any kind. I just felt sorry for the selfie whore of Blackwell and even more sorry when she said she wanted to help her  _best friend_ by letting you use her room until you woke up. Hmph. Max can do  _so_  much better for herself, it's a shame you're all she's got to look forward to."

For some reason, hearing Victoria say such a disrespectful word in the same sentence with Max really rubbed Chloe wrong. Scowling, Chloe took a step towards Victoria, fists clenched, eyes narrowing in anger. Tilting her head just slightly to the side, Chloe prompted Victoria a second time just to make sure she heard correctly. "What did you call her?"

Victoria noted that Chloe was drawing closer, but she wasn't afraid of nobody like her. She took self-defense courses in her private time, so she felt pretty confident if Chloe tried to assault her, she could defend herself. "I know you heard me the first time Chloe. But if you're that anxious to hear it again. I said..." Victoria leaned in and now Chloe was standing directly in front of her, so the two were practically nose-to-nose. "The selfie whore of Blackwell."

Chloe felt a spark of heat go up her neck and spread into her cheeks, marking her rage at the older teen. "Max is  _not_  a whore Victoria. I mean, I can't speak for her sex life but if she's still the same Max Caulfield who left me five years ago, she's too shy, and too socially awkward to go that deep with a guy."

Victoria smirked. Just seeing those lips curl devilishly and meet her eyes in a silent challenge taunted Chloe to do something really reckless. "Ohh that's right. That was Rachel's specialty. Sorry, I got them confused. My bad. But are the two so different? Rachel posed for photos, and was happy to get snapped by anyone here with a lens, and Max wants to take pictures of people. Yet most of her shots are of herself. I'll stop calling Max a selfie whore when she starts taking pictures of the world around her."

That did it. Releasing a loud cry, Chloe punched Victoria, right between the eyes and was happy do it. "Don't you  _ever_  talk about my friends like that or I'll mess your world up so fast you won't be able to-" Chloe had more to say but she closed her mouth hearing the soft gasp fill the small area. _Aww snap!_

Whipping her head to the right, Chloe found herself staring into the mortified eyes of a sleepy Max who continued to stand there in the door way and glance awkwardly between Victoria and Chloe's faces.

"Chloe... why?" Max asked, going over to stand in the middle of the two girls, fearing if she didn't there would be another nasty encounter from them. Hearing the disappointment in Max's voice made Chloe feel so hopeless. Lowering her fist, Chloe attempted to explain herself but did a poor job at sounding justified to strike Victoria in the face.

"She was talking smack about you. And she was trying to start stuff with us and-"

"So, you hit her?"

Chloe winced at the correct assessment made and couldn't help but think Max was taking Victoria's side. "So, what if I hit her? She deserved it Max."

Max shook her head. “No Chloe. She didn’t. I overheard everything. I may not have liked everything I heard but you can't go around hitting people when you disagree with them Chloe.”

Chloe cocked her head and slotted her eyes in annoyance. “Are you seriously taking Victoria’s side over your best friend who you abandoned for five years?! What part that she was talking dirty about you, didn't you understand?!”

Closing her eyes, Max raised her hands and motioned at Chloe to calm down. “Chloe.” Max interjected, her voice much softer. “No matter how you slice it, you can't hurt people, even if you meant well.”

Ignoring Victoria's snobbish glare, Chloe stormed over to Max and used her towering height as a means to intimidate her. Chloe didn't want to turn on Max without a reason. Not when they needed to talk about recent events and sort through their feelings. But somehow, Max standing up for Victoria and scolding her for defending her really upset Chloe, so much that she was willing to buck heads with Max too.

“You mean tell me you want to praise the girl whose trash talking you and have no friendship status with _what-so-ever_ , but complain when the so called best friend stands up for you? Max do you have any idea how messed up that is?!”

Max used her hand to push against Chloe's shoulder. Not in warmth, not in greeting but to establish that she was standing too close. Any other time Max would welcome Chloe's presence but with the situation being what it was, she didn't really want to be up close and personal. “I realize you're upset-” Max started to say, only to be sharply cut off by Chloe’s vicious counter.

"Hella yes I'm upset, and I have every right to be!"

The conversation was escalating to a dangerous level of emotion but neither Max or Chloe seemed to be able to stop themselves from holding back. They were so focused on each other they failed to notice how all the dorm doors opened and the rest of the girls had poked their heads out and were listening in on their argument. Even Victoria was standing quietly off to the side observing the smack down with mild interest.

"You couldn't have said, 'Thanks Chloe for having my back when fake girls like Victoria tear me down.' Oh no, what do you do? You turn around and protect her. Max how are you back home and already causing trouble for us?"

Max threw her arms up in frustration and took on a much more serious approach. She didn't want to get defensive, but Chloe wasn't leaving her much of a choice. "Says the one who punched Victoria in the face? You know what? Forget Victoria. That's not who you're really mad at. It's me you want, right? Well, here I am so go ahead and let me have it." Max crossed her arms and glanced pointedly in the opposite direction, still oblivious to the girls watching them. "And just when I thought you really meant those words on the stairs today. Guess it was just heat of the moment huh? You're not glad I'm alive at all."

Chloe recoiled back as if burnt by the statement. "What?! I did mean it!"

"Well if you did, why are you acting like this? I still don't know how to really take that, but surely you were glad to see me earlier?"

"I am glad to see you Max." Chloe quipped, baring her clenched teeth that much harder. "But I don't think it's mutual. Could you at least  _pretend_  to act like you're glad to see me?"

Max shook her head in disgust. "Don't you think I'm happy to see you?"

The question nicely steered the fight into a new direction Max wasn't prepared for. And if she was going to be honest with herself, Chloe wasn't ready for it either.

"No. I think you were happy to wait five years without a call or even a text."

Max looked off again, blinked rapidly then trailed her wounded eyes back over to Chloe. "I'm sorry." Max muttered, looking down. "I know things were tough on you when I left."

"How would you know?!" Chloe barked, insulted that Max would even try to pull such a cowardly act on her. "You weren't even here!"

Chloe's outbursts made several girls grimace, including Victoria. Even they could feel the bitter intensity in Chloe's voice as she raged after Max but none of them could find it in themselves to break them up. Lifting her head, Max tried to reason with Chloe. She needed her to understand her side of the story but so far, anything she said was seen as an excuse.

"I didn't order my parents to move to specifically screw you over Chloe."

Chloe's eyebrow furrowed madly as she pressed on. Turning away from Max, Chloe gestured at the girls spying on them then looked back at Max. "You've been at Blackwell for almost a month without letting me know. 'Nuff said."

In her defense Max quickly inserted, "I just wanted to settle in first and not be such a shy cliché geek. I totally would have contacted you..." At a loss and no longer able to find anything to say, Max closed her mouth and found a missing Rachel Amber poster to stare at instead of Chloe's demanding face.

Chloe crossed her arms and looked right at Max with such intensity, Max nervously began to rub at her arm. Gesturing at the lot of the girls, Chloe coldly remarked, "I bet you don't use these sad excuses on your new friends up here. Don't use them on me Max."

"So, Max.  _This_  is your bestie that you adore so much?" Ignoring the throbbing in the bridge of her obvious broken nose, Victoria cupped the under part of her nostrils to catch the blood. "Lovely. She's a total loose cannon who can't even take a joke. God, I can't believe you felt sorry for her."

Max nervously glanced over at Victoria, and gave her a stern warning with her eyes. "Victoria, maybe now isn't a good time to-"

"Ahh you know what? Screw it." Chloe interrupted Max from correcting Victoria and raised her arm. Spreading her fingers, Chloe rewound time and didn't think twice about it.

She wasn't feeling the vibes of their talk and she didn't care for Victoria's input there at the end. That and everyone else had witnessed the fight, which would only complicate things more. Chloe was sure of it. To avoid this, she rewound time. When time resumed, she was back on Max's bed.

"Well  _that_  was a total disaster."

Chloe didn't even retrace her progress. She didn't write Max the note either. She simply got her belongings together and left the room without a word. As expected, as Chloe was leaving Max's room Victoria was opening the door to hers. Before Victoria could get her two cents in, Chloe walked quickly down the hall way. She exited the dorm and made a bee line for her truck. Chloe knew she had to face Max and eventually, she would. But if what she saw earlier was what their encounter would lead up to, Max could shove it.

"Hmph. Rude. She didn't even say good-bye to Max. What's her deal?" Victoria muttered, walking over to the window that overlooked the entire parking lot. She leaned against the window framed and quietly observed Chloe's vicious departure. Afterwards, she shrugged and resumed her walk to Courtney's room.

Prior to coming home and storming through the front door, Chloe deliberately ignored her mother and David, not caring if it made them mad or not.

"Chloe, where have you been this whole time?"

She heard her mother ask but made no move to stop herself from marching up the stairs and straight into the bathroom. Joyce was in the midst of calling after her child when she and David heard Chloe slam the bathroom door, quite aggressively. Joyce rolled her eyes and turned away from David. "I'm going to put her plate in the fridge. I don't know what happened or what got her so worked up, but if I were you David, I'd wait until tomorrow morning to tell her she's grounded."

David frowned but understood what was being asked of him. He resumed eating his meal, silently wondering what in the world happened. He wouldn't know until tomorrow anyway so David smashed his curiosity out, deciding it was better to drill Chloe for information after she had a good night's rest. Upstairs in the bathroom, Chloe filled the glass that was conveniently on the sink's ledge. She filled it half way full, set off to the side then opened the drawer that contained her bottle of Fluoxetine. Chloe doubled the douse, just because she was intending to mix the medicine with some weed later. Double dose meant double the high. Popping her neck, Chloe gulped down the rest of the water then stepped away from the sink.

 _ **That** did not go well for me. _ **_Clearly_ ** _when Max and I have our talk, I have to catch her alone and far away from Victoria._

With her medicine humming in her veins, Chloe was slowly starting to feel a light buzz from her double dose stripped down and took a speedy shower, all too eager to make a late night trip to The Old Mill. If she was lucky, she might a catch local garage band that she could jam out to. Mainstream popular bands weren't active in their area of the world. Not the bands that Chloe enjoyed but more than the music, Chloe wanted to relax with some of her past pot contacts. Among those people, Chloe hoped that Frank might make an appearance. If he didn't, she'd go scout the area in her truck until she found his RV. One way or another, Chloe was going to get her buzz. With or without Frank's stash in her custody.

  

* * *

 

The Old Mill was as hectic and rowdy as Chloe remembered it. It was hyped with all sorts of crazy, speakers were blaring screaming heavy metal and the thick fog of weed hit Chloe so hard, she gladly staggered back. She took it all in, savoring the aroma of pot and the hint of strong booze.

"Hey Chloe. What's shakn' gurl? Original Cindy hasn't seen you in for-eva. Where you been? In trouble?" Cindy was a hip-hop DJ mixer for The Old Mill. She refereed to herself in first person when saying her name for effect, nothing more. She wasn't crazy or suffering from a personality disorder. She just liked the sound of hearing her name in first person.

Grinning, Chloe gave her a fist bump and tipped her head at Cindy in greeting. "Sup Cid? And of course, I'm in trouble. I'm in trouble so much, I'm thinking about legally changing my name to it."

Cindy laughed. "I hear that. But seriously, where have you been? It seems like it's been ages since we last spoke."

Chloe rubbed at her neck and shrugged her shoulder lazily in response to the question. "I wish I knew where my head was at. Before, it was about trying to find Rachel. But I've gotten a lil' distracted by some..." Trailing off, Chloe shook her head, not wanting to get into  _that_  fine detail of her life. Time power was not something she could loosely mention to people. They already thought she was crazy. Chloe didn't need them to think she was a nutcase that needed to be shipped up to a mental hospital. "Stupid stuff. Yeah let's go with that. It's stupid stuff that made me feel weird and got me side tracked from my mission to find Rachel."

Cindy hiked her thumb over her shoulder and Chloe followed the trail and saw a group of people blazing on a couch set up in the middle of the back room. Among those people was Frank. He was perfectly sober as he should be since he was striking deals and writing in his account book. "I dunno how long you're gonna hang out, but you should go say hi to the gang before you bounce. Catch up some with us Chloe."

"Yeah?" Chloe mused, stepping around Cindy. "I think I will. Frank's here."

Cindy crossed her arms. "Mmm-hmm. Original Cindy ain't no fool. Did you come to see Frank, or did you come to steal his stash? Which is it?"

"Can't a girl have her cake and eat it too?" Chloe joked, rubbing at her neck again. Cindy regarded Chloe seriously then shook her head in utter disbelief.

"Not if you want to live. The man has a dog he's trained to kill, carries a switchblade and I'm pretty sure Frank has ways of making you disappear off the coast with just a phone call to so-and-so. But there's always a silver lining with you, isn't there gurl?" Cindy cryptically stated. Chloe sneered and shook her head, dismissing the remark.

"It's my life, I'll live it how I want."

"Keep that tude up and you might find yourself dead one day. By Frank or somebody else you manage to tick off."

Chloe shrugged, unconcerned. "Would death be so bad? It's not like I'm having the greatest time right now." Before Cindy could comment on that, Chloe made her way into the den where Frank was it. "Hey Frankie."

Chloe waved at him, hoping to get his attention. Frank put down his pen, closed his account book and snapped his head up like a predator distracted from its prey.

"You got serious balls to show your face in front of me Chloe." Frank growled, making sure to add edge in his voice so Chloe could pick up on his anger at her. "What do you want now?" Frank asked, raising an eyebrow. Standing up, he told his current clients and "friends" that he would be right back after he wrapped up some unfinished business with another client. Walking up to Chloe, Frank took her firmly by the forearm, dragged Chloe outside and didn't let go of her until they were against the side of the building, far away from curious ears. "Why are you here Price?" Frank crossed his arms defensively and couldn't wait to hear what kind of excuses Chloe would list before she broke down and asked for a bag of pot. As if sensing he was thinking those kinds of thoughts, Chloe raised her hands and smiled widely.

"I gotta have a reason to drop in and say hello to my favorite drug dealer of all time?"

Frank's face darkened and for a brief moment, Chloe wondered if Frank was going to go ape and strike her down with a weapon. Or his mangy dog but so far, his dog was panting softly behind his master, quietly watching the two humans in a happy silence. "A, I'm not your favorite drug dealer and B, you owe me Price. Big time. So, unless you're here to pay up, you can turn around and pray I don't lose my temper with you. I've given you time and you haven't done anything to show me you're gonna take my threats seriously. So, shove off Price, you ain't getting any of my stash." Frank retorted, giving Chloe a dirty look. Chloe pressed her hands together and put on her beggar face. She knew it wouldn't work, but she tried it anyway.

"I just need a little to unwind and clear my head. You can put it on my tab."

Frank glared, insulted that Chloe had resorted to begging. "Stop it, you're embarrassing yourself, and my answer is still no. Beat it kid. I got more important things to do then to watch you make a fool of yourself."

Chloe rolled her eyes when he frowned, no doubt remembering her debt to him. "Actually Frank, I need someone to talk to... and I think you're the perfect person that I can tell this stuff to and you won't judge me for it."

"You came all the way out here to try and talk to me about your teenager issues?" Frank laughed at the defeated look he received from Chloe. When he saw that she wasn't changing her expression, he stiffened and did a double take. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Yes. I need to get this off my chest before I get high. It's killing me and if I don't tell somebody I literally think I'm going to go crazy. Crazier then I already am and that should tell you something because I'm wanting to confide in you of all people."

"No. That tells me you see me as rebound and don't have any other friends to turn to. You haven't since Rachel disappeared."

Chloe took Frank's hand into her own and gazed up at him so pitifully, Frank physically became uncomfortable. "Frank, please?"

"Okay! Okay!" Frank jerked his hands free and placed them on his hips. "You got twenty minutes to spill your heart then we're going back inside and you're either gonna pay up or stay far away from me, so I don't get tempted to end you."

"Thanks Frank. But uh... you might wanna sit down for this one."

Frank arched an eyebrow. "Is it that bad?"

Chloe nodded slowly. Twice.

Rolling his eyes, Frank plopped down on the grass, crossed his legs and looked up at Chloe, expecting her to astound him. "All right. I'm waiting."

Swallowing the nervous lump in her throat, Chloe took a seat beside Frank, drew her knees up and cleared her throat. "Okay. I don't know know where to begin. It's kinda sad on my part but what I have, the crap I've seen in the past eight hours... it will do that to a person I guess."

Chloe wasn't making sense and already Frank was losing interest in what it was she had to say. "Just start from the part that got you to this point."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, start telling me the details when you realized it was too much to handle."

Nodding, Chloe shut her eyes, released a shaky breath, applying Frank's advice.

 

* * *

  **Song:** **[Obstacles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqWcpEZ3GY0)** \- Syd Matters

* * *

  

  **Let's say sunshine for everyone**

 

"Okay then. That would be earlier today when I was at the school putting up some missing posters for Rachel. I went into the school, was trying to find a spot and then..."

 

**But as far as I can remember**

 

Chloe dove into the heart of her dilemma. The more she spoke, the more Frank's face started to scrunch up in confusion with a pinch of concern. "So, there you have it Frank. I saved my best friend from getting shot. Twice. Discovered I could rewind time and saw a freaky vision of a storm destroying Arcadia Bay this Friday... with Rachel at the lighthouse. Like I said, I wanted to say all this before getting blasted outta my mind and this is why I'm hoping you'll have some mercy on me and hook me up."

 

**We've been migratory animals**

 

Frank snorted, and couldn't help but shake his head at her. "But, high right? You have to already be high to tell me something that messed up."

Chloe raised her hand and cut him off. "I'm not high Frank. Well I mean, I took my prescribed meds but they wouldn't get me to this point! Look, I don't know what I have or why it's here, but I have it and I'm scared, so could you please lay off and at least pretend to care?! I'm scared and I'm not lying about it! Why would I make something like this up?! Why would I torment myself with this kinda power?!" She snapped, with a little more venom than she intended. Chloe saw Frank flinch at her tone and she sighed, offering an apologetic look. "Sorry, gotta lot of stuff going. I didn't mean to yell at you." Stretching out her legs, Chloe eased back on her hands and looked up at the cloudy sky and was instantly smothered by her troubled thoughts.

 _Dear God. Chloe's really lost it. This whole thing with Rachel has completely wrecked her. But..._ Frank glanced up to study the stars with Chloe.

 

**Living under changing weather**

 

 _If she's not totally messed up in the head and things are as she said... then, that means Arcadia Bay is screwed._ "Listen Chloe, I dunno how to say this but I think-"

"I'm crazy? Yeah, I know. You kinda gave it away when you gave me the looks that you did when I was explaining it all."

Frank crossed his arms and surprised Chloe with his response. "I think what you told me is completely off the wall and a recipe for disaster but I'm going to choose to believe you on it. If that makes me crazy with you, well..." Frank shrugged. "So be it. My old man said with God all things are possible. Who am I to say this is or isn't really happening to you. Maybe the power is from God himself. Who knows? But I won't judge you for it." Frank gave Chloe a gentle smile and she weakly returned it.

 

**Someday we will foresee obstacles**

 

"Thanks Frank, I appreciate your honesty. It felt nice to finally get that off my chest." Chloe muttered, lowering her head. A long moment of silence passed and the two sat still, staring off into the far distance in a comfortable silence then all at once, something cold hit Chloe's nose. Frank's too.

"What in the-" Chloe hurriedly got to her feet, looking at the heavy downfall of white flakes. Frank stood up and glanced around, trying to make sense of the strange shift in weather. "worldis this?"

Frank reached out and flicked at the flakes between his fingers. "Snow?"

 

**Through the blizzard, through the blizzard**

 

He whispered, turning around, and putting his hands out.

"How? It's like, 80 degrees out. Oregon gets tornadoes every twenty years and it's been known to cause this kinda thing right before a bad-"

"Storm hits the coast. Yeah, I know. The news forecast didn't mention a snow shower. It's just the start of October. Does this mean-"

"A storm is coming for Arcadia Bay?" Chloe finished Frank's sentence and they faced each other and instantly knew what the other was thinking.

"Chloe this is scaring me." Frank quietly admitted, stepping up to her. Hands still out and collecting the droplets of snow, Frank sighed gave Chloe a sad look, suddenly feeling wretched for not believing her story from the start, but merely settled for meeting her in the middle. "Chloe, start from the beginning. Tell me everything again." He stated with firm conviction.

 

**Today we will sell our uniform**

 

"Especially the part about seeing Rachel at the lighthouse."

Chloe chuckled and elbowed him playfully. "Okay. You asked for it. So, I was driving to Blackwell earlier today and wanted to put up posters for Rachel and..."

 

**Live together, live together.**

 

Frank's posture relaxed as he shoved his hands into his pockets. This time, Frank was going to pay extra close attention to Chloe's story because if she wasn't crazy that meant in five days, Arcadia was going to get hit and get hit hard. He wanted to be prepared for it and to some degree, he wanted Chloe to be ready for it to. Chloe left her smart phone on silent and she didn't hear it ringing or think to reach down and see who it was that was calling.

 

**We played hide and seek in waterfalls**

 

 _Chloe, why did you leave without saying anything? Are you still mad at me or did I do something to make you leave?_ Max sighed and burrowed her face into her pillows, frustrated at herself and at their situation.  _Insert groan here. I suppose I'll just have to wait until tomorrow..._

Max's eyes fluttered shut and she finally allowed herself to relax. Several minutes later, Max slipped into an agitated slumber and every dream sequence she had was haunted, practically tormented by memories of her and Chloe's childhood. Even asleep, Max couldn't seem to escape Chloe. Oddly enough, Max didn't seem to mind. At least she could understand the past Chloe. It was the present Chloe that was troubling her.

 

**We were younger, we were younger**

 

Even though it was very late, several people were up on campus, in different areas doing different things. Warren was in the science room, browsing on his computer when he noticed the snow. He stopped what he was doing so he could observe the strange weather.

 

**We played hide and seek in waterfalls**

 

Kate was sitting on her bed, doubled over, one hand on her face, crying softly in her dorm room, alone, broken and without hope.

 

**We were younger, we were younger**

 

Principal Wells was standing in his office by the large window, sipping from a half-filled glass a of whiskey while he watched the snow fall.

 

**We played hide and seek in waterfalls**

 

Joyce was working late at the Two Whales, wiping down the bar when she noticed saw the snow out the windows.

 

**We were younger, we were younger**

 

David was outside in the dark, working on installing another camera when he felt the cold flakes hit his skin. Frowning, he turned his head and took a moment to appreciate the flakes then he went right back to installing the camera.

 

**We played hide and seek in waterfalls**

 

Outside, under the lamplight, Victoria stood before a campus navigation sign. She glared at the missing Rachel Amber poster and detested it so much, she reached up and tore it down. Her late night jog ruined, Victoria headed back to the dorms and scarcely noticed that it was snowing.

 

**We were younger, we were younger**

 

Mark was in his classroom, sitting at his desk in the dark, going over files on his computer and just so happened to look over and catch the snowfall. He blinked, thought it was odd then returned his attention back to his computer screen. As he did this, he couldn't help but think about Max and wonder when she was going to turn in a contest photo.

 

**Someday we will foresee obstacles**

 

Nathan was sitting on his leather couch, cleaning the lens of his camera in his dorm room, and thinking about paying a late night visit to his home residence to see to some secret business that no one else knew about.

 

**Through the blizzard, through the blizzard.**

 

In a bunker, deep underground was a dark room that served as a photo studio for someone. The cabinets were open, exposed to the naked eye. In one of the cabinets were shelves of red folders. Each folder bore a name of a girl, never boys. One folder in particular would never be addressed because the man who visited the dark room that had plans for that girl, couldn't find her. Due to her sudden disappearance, he was never able to capture her with his camera and yet... he kept Rachel Amber's folder amongst the others, just in case she came back.


	4. Episode 4: Say It Again (W)

**Tuesday, October 8th**

* * *

 

 

The sharp piercing noise that filled Max's ears looped several times before Max allowed herself to be drawn from her slumber. Hearing the annoying buzz of her alarm, she reached out to paw at the end table where her smart phone was at. Max patted around on the screen until she found the home button to cancel the notification. Lifting her leg up, Max kept the other leg stretched out while her hand rested over her stomach. Max knew she needed to get up, but she made no move to get up out of bed just yet. It took Max a bleary couple of seconds of rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms around to remember why felt so emotionally spent. Then everything hit her.

_Oh. Right. Chloe._

Frowning, Max groggily glanced around the room. She laid still, taking a moment to admire the warm rays of the sunlight spilling through the open blinds. If felt wonderful on her chilled skin.

_I'm trying so hard to understand why Chloe would just get up and bail on me like that. I need to text her and find out if we can meet somewhere and talk about it. Some best friend reunion this is turning out to be. It's so awkward between us, I don't even know where to begin..._

Max placed her hands on her face and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes again, then mustered up enough motivation to roll out of bed. Her eyebrows furrowed madly as she ran several scenarios through her mind. In the end, Chloe's actions didn't make sense and Max wanted answers. Answers that only Chloe could give her.

_I want to call her out on leaving me behind without a word, but I can't say that when I'm the one who screwed her over for five years. I don't think I... have a good reason to be this upset but I can't help how I feel._

Max slid off the edge of the bed and slothfully turned to face her mirror. Seeing the defined sag in her posture and a sleepy face only a mother could love, she jumped at her drowsy reflection. Turning around, Max went over to the window by the computer desk and looked down at Lisa. She had watered the plant yesterday or had she meant to and didn't get around to it? Not wanting to take a risk, Max reached for the water bottle on the window seal.

_Good morning Lisa. Your leaves are lovely today. I may not have a green thumb, but I have a green finger._

Kneeling down, Max poured a little water into the pot of the plant.

_Drink up... it's got electrolytes._

With Lisa properly nurtured, Max stood up, turned around and slowly approached her mirror.

_Yikes. I need to go shower and freshen up first. There's no way I'm going to meet up with Chloe looking like this. After I shower, I'm calling her and I won't stop calling until she picks up. What's important is making the most of our time together and that's not going to happen if someone doesn't give and take the first step. Somehow, I'm surprised that I'm playing my cards first but then again, Chloe might surprise me and get to me first._

Spotting her shower kit on the dresser by the open closet, Max went over to the dresser then gently picked the shower kit up by the handle. Looking down at the shower kit in her hand, Max faintly recalled why she and all the girls in the dorm had to have the required shower kits in the first place.

_Just because some idiot pranked a girl's shampoo bottle and her hair fell out, we have to safe guard our toiletries. So summer camp. Okay Max, lets hit the showers now._

As Max passed the side wall, she glanced over the schedule that was taped to the wall.

_Mrs. Hoida is still out sick. I heard somebody say she has severe depression. Poor thing._

Looking forward, Max grabbed the door handle, stepped out of her room and into the hallway, still very much half asleep. She started to head for the bathroom but stopped herself seeing Courtney standing in front of Victoria's door clutching a small stack of books to her chest.

"Courtney, seriously, do not forget I need those papers before tonight. Like, now. Thanks, cherie."

"Yeah, of course, Victoria. I'll get the tests and papers to you this afternoon."

Max knew it was wrong to stand there and ease drop on their conversation but she couldn't find it in herself to summon the discipline to look away. If there was one thing that forever amazed Max about Victoria, it was her strange gift at commanding people to bow to her, follow her, praise her and evidently, get minions like Courtney to do her homework. At least Max was smart enough to turn and start down the hallway  _before_  Victoria or Courtney caught her staring at them. Up ahead, Alyssa was standing in front of the bill board, reading the varies flyers and posters that were pinned there. The door across from where Alyssa was standing cracked open and a girl with a roll of toilet paper was preparing to launch it at the back of Alyssa's head. Too bad for her, Max saw her arm and was already close enough to Alyssa that she could warn her about it.

"Alyssa, can you stand over there?"

Max asked, gesturing to the space next to the wall. Confused, Alyssa looked at Max and moved herself, ill-regardless if she could understand Max's request or not.

"Uh, okay Max. If that makes you happy..."

The moment Alyssa moved and stood beside Max, the roll of toilet paper came flying out from the crack in the door. It hit the border of the wall and both girls watched it roll off to the side then glanced up at each other. Max just stood there with a sleepy expression on her face and smiled, happy to have done her good deed for the day. Alyssa's face beamed with appreciation.

"Wow, now that was close. Thank you, Max."

Grinning just slightly, Max waved it off, glad that her friend avoided being bullied for the moment. She continued down the hallway and a Rachel Amber missing poster happened to catch her drowsy eye. Curiosity getting the better of her, Max went over to another bill board and studied the contents of the poster.

_These missing Rachel Amber posters are everywhere. Someone is seriously devoted to putting these things up. Hmm..._

Max's face softened the more she focused on the image.

_It looks like she's been missing for months. Rachel Amber huh? She looks so hopeful and pretty... I wonder what happened to her?_

Done entertaining such thoughts, Max turned away from the bill board and headed for the shower room when she heard Stella yelling at Dana to turn down her music. Being the nosy type, Max took another detour and ventured into Dana's room to talk with her. The shower could wait. Making memories with friends? Immeasurable and well worth the investment.

_When I'm done here and take my shower, I will send Chloe a text and let her know I wanna meet up after my classes. One way or another, we're going to have to face the obvious, even if someone's feelings get hurt by the end of it._

Max forced the depression creeping on her face away and put on a smile instead. She didn't want Dana to worry about her or any of the other girls for that matter. The tension and awkwardness with Chloe wasn't something Max wanted or needed to advertise around the dorm or in the classroom. Hopefully, after talking things out with Chloe, the unease in her would leave and Max could focus better. After visiting with Dana, Max went to the shower room. Kate was in there, along with a few other girls who were in the shower stalls. Max and Kate discussed Max's brave efforts to get David to back off form bullying her and Kate expressed her gratitude to Max, then kindly asked for her book back. Max promised Kate once she was doing getting cleaned up, she would come visit Kate in her room. While Max was taking her shower, she overheard Taylor and Victoria come in and start harassing Kate over a Vortex Club video that went viral. Poor Kate left the shower room on the verge of tears and Victoria just had to leave a nice link to the video on the mirror before she and Taylor made their exit. When Max finished her shower, she got dressed and deliberately erased the message off the mirror, just like she had been going out of her way to erase the crude messages on Kate's dorm slate. It was minor, but Max wanted to think that she was helping Kate and making a difference in her friend's life. As Max ventured to Kate's room, her smart phone buzzed, indicating she had received a text from someone. At first, Max's heart raced thinking it might of been Chloe, who probably was going to want to know how Max got a hold of her contact information. That was the beauty of remembering their house number and having Joyce answer. That's exactly how Max got Chloe's number and she would of gladly told Chloe that only the sender of the text was not Chloe. It was anonymous. Max read the message and wasn't sure if she should feel scared or just merely insulted at the fact that someone went out of their way to find out what her contact information was.

 

* * *

 

**100% [][][][]**

**Unknown:** Keep your smart mouth shut about everything. Or I'm coming for you, I know where you sleep.

10/08/2013 7:36 AM

* * *

 

 

_Oh crap, now I'm getting anonymous threats? It never ends... this has to be from Nathan... but it could be anybody. I better be double careful around here or I could be in serious danger._

There was a brief pause in Max's mind followed by soft exhale. Reaching out, she grabbed the door handle to Kate's room, trying her best to keep a calm profile.

_If I'm not already._

Upon hearing Max call out to her, Kate gave Max permission to enter her room. Max returned Kate's book, they chatted briefly about the book, then Kate asked Max for some advice. As Max suspected all along, it dealt with recent events and the video that had gone viral. Twenty difficult minutes later, Max and Kate worked out a game plan but in the end, Kate needed to wait and find proof that Nathan had drugged her at the Vortex Club party. It wasn't ideal for her, but Max seemed to think so and with nothing more to contribute, Max cuffed Kate's shoulder, assured her if she needed her to just give her call and left Kate alone, knowing she needed some time to process everything they had discussed. Standing a little ways down from Kate's room was Brooke. Max was in a meet and greet mood so she went over to say hi.

"Hey Brooke."

Brooke glanced up, folded her arms over her chest and offered Max a genuine smile for once.

"Oh. Hi Max."

On whim, Max remembered the snow she saw last night and used that as a conversation starter. That and Brooke was a nerd geek like Warren. They weren't perfect scientists, but they were young, had spunk and knew their stuff. If anyone could help explain the snow, it was them.

"Did you see the freak snowfall yesterday?"

Brooke's entire face lit up.

"I was riveted by that weird snow flurry yesterday."

Her expression was readable but also suggested sarcasm. Cracking a half smile, Max timidly admitted,

"I can't tell if you're being serious or not. Um, since I'm a science noob, I was wondering if you could explain it?"

Brooke grabbed at her shoulder and tilted slightly to the right.

"I'm serious. Even meteorologist can't explain that snow. I bet Warren can."

Brooke usually got defensive around Max when it came to Warren but here lately, she had backed off and was slowly starting to accept their odd, blossoming relationship. For better or for worse.

"Did you talk to him yet?"

Brooke's tone softened and Max could sense that she was being sincere with her and not trying to attack her. This made Max smile a little and she was grateful things were smoothing out between the two of them. Max already had someone angry at her, she didn't really want another person on her case, even if it was over a boy.

"No. Not at all. He's my friend. Not my mother."

Brooke nodded gently in agreement.

"True. And Warren loves to talk meteorology with me, since I'm one of the few who can talk back."

Brooke didn't mean to come across superior and make Max feel like she was lesser for being such a baby in science. Max didn't respond to the jab, but she did cross her arms and tense up a little. Noting it, Brooke quickly cut off their conversation.

"Talk to you later, Max."

Max went about her business but made sure to send Chloe a text message before she go so busy she'd forget to do it later. Hopefully, Chloe would reply back at some point and let Max know if she could come meet up later. If Chloe came across like she was stalling or was trying to avoid Max, Max would take the school's transportation bus to her neighborhood and confront Chloe directly. She was that determined to talk to her and even more determined to understand why Chloe just upt and left without a word.

_Hmm. I got a good hour before my class starts. What if... I go over to her house now and just surprise her? I mean, what's the worse that could happen?_

Nodding to herself, Max changed her course of direction and did just that. She went downstairs, got on the school's transportation bus and asked the driver to take her to Chloe's section of the town.

That same morning, in the Price household, Chloe was sitting at the dinner table with her arms crossed, looking very miserable and very angry to be lectured by David.

"Do you understand what I'm saying to you Chloe? I didn't want to have to do this, but you've left me no choice."

No response. Glaring down at her, David walked around the table and slammed his fist down by the vase. The impact was so hard, it shook every item on the table and made Chloe flinch against her will.

"Do you understand?! Yes or no!?"

He demanded, raising his voice rising to another level of authority. Chloe took in a long breath, held it a few seconds then gradually released it as her neck involuntarily twisted in David's direction.

"I. Under. Stand."

Chloe stated in a controlled, polite tone, thinking maybe if she gave in a little, acknowledged her punishment and what David expected of her, he'd throw in the towel and just leave already. Leaning back, David stepped away from the chair where Chloe was sitting and glanced over his shoulder at the clock on the wall.

"I need to go now. Remember, no going out whatsoever, no inviting people over and even though you should know this, I feel the need to say it anyway. Stay out of the garage where my guns are. One is already missing and I-"

Chloe sighed loudly and shifted in her seat. She glared at David, already having a good idea what he was implying.

"Oh God, I didn't take your stupid gun. You  _do_  know I believe in gun control, right?"

Not convinced Chloe was telling him the truth, David stormed back over to the table, placed his hands on the surface and leaned in, all close and personal. Chloe jerked in her seat and gave him such a menacing look of rejection and hate, it actually was enough to make David ease back.

"Chloe, I know what you're doing. I know the places you like to go and the people you like to hang out with. Now I've  _ordered_  you..."

David had to stop and correct himself. Using his military terms upset Chloe and made things difficult and she was already in a crappy, rebellious mood. Raising a finger, David adjusted his posture and his tone before saying,

" _Told_  you to stay away from such places and crowds. So until you can learn to obey me and Joyce, your phone, your truck and your wallet, are in my custody. You are to remain here at the house unless given permission to leave and even then, you will be followed by me or your mother. So don't even think about trying to leave. I have ways of finding out if you do."

Chloe shot up from the chair and faced David head on, blinded by her anger. The two were so absorbed in each other, they didn't notice that Max had walked into the house was cautiously making her way down the small hallway.

"I wish you'd leave Joyce!"

Chloe snapped, taking a bold step towards David.

"Like now!"

Narrowing his eyes, David stood tall and proud over Chloe and timed it just right so he could back hand Chloe hard across her face. The sting from the smack hurt and forced Chloe to double over. Max froze. She didn't know what else to do. She didn't know what to think either. She had never seen an act of domestic violence before. Like an idiot, she continued to stand there by the end table, too afraid of what David would do to her if she made her presence known. Neither Chloe and David realized Max was there. Chloe was looking down at the floor, eyes slotted in anger and in frustration. She touched her face, hating how it hurt and that the skin would probably bruise. It took everything inside of Chloe not to erupt and full out assault David. She'd loose but it was worth it. David was a combat veteran, so disabling Chloe would be all too easy for a pro like him. But Chloe also had a little surprise for David or anyone else who got on her bad side too, for she did in fact, take David's gun and it was fully loaded.

"I'm sorry Chloe. I care about your mother and you just... you _just keep_  pushing me."

 _I've seen enough._   _I shouldn't be here. This was a bad idea._

Max was silently creeping backwards, in the process of making her escape but tripped over the leg of the end able and made way too much noise for David and Chloe to not notice.

_Oh no._

David whirled around and looked genuinely shocked to see Max in his home. Chloe on the other hand, stared at her and sincerely wondered why Max was in the house.

"Why is she here?"

David nicely overlooked how he just struck Chloe across her face and was now resorting to an interrogation of sorts. He glanced at Chloe, expecting her to give him an answer. When she failed to reply to his question, David pointed a stern finger at Max, making Max feel like she was some kind of felon that didn't deserve to be in his presence.

Crossing her arms, Chloe glanced pointedly in the opposite direction, avoiding the fear spreading across Max's face.

"None of your business but if it helps, I don't even know why she's here."

David lowered his finger, squared his shoulders and shot Max a mean, degrading look.

"I don't like strangers."

At that rude accusation, Chloe faced David head on, put how she felt about the fight at the dorm aside and took up for Max. Max didn't deserve to be punished when she didn't know what was going on, that much Chloe understood and needed to extend some grace.

"Stop freaking, she's not a stranger. This is my friend."

David wasn't so convinced that Max was a legit friend. To him, Max was just another user, just another junkie with no future. Narrowing his eyes, he looked over at Chloe questionably.

"Great, another one of your "friends"."

At random, David brought up a issue he believed Chloe was guilty for. She would deny it, that much he already knew but he was giving her a chance to come clean about it.

"I ordered you to never go through my files. You _obviously_  have."

Insulted that he was able to discover that she had gone through his files, despite making sure to cover her tracks, Chloe spread her arms wide and gave him the usual white lies but she made sure to sound extra offended so it would look good in front of Max. Chloe wasn't sure why she was trying to impress Max all of a sudden. Then again, Chloe didn't like confrontations with David, much less getting caught in a argument with him. He was verbally abusive at times and always tying to make it out to sound like Chloe wasn't worth anything. But more than likely, she just didn't want Max to see her so emotionally overwhelmed by David.

"I didn't touch your files, David. I could care less about your files."

"You care about starting crap Chloe. And it's getting old."

No longer wanting to fight with him on the subject, Chloe retreated over to the couch and plopped down, wishing David would leave and just go to work.

"Chloe, I found grass in your room. You've clearly been toking up again and I'm sick of it."

The weed came from Frank, who gave it to Chloe free of charge from last night. He felt sorry for Chloe after hearing her story and took pity on her. He sent her off with a small bag. It was enough to give her a good high for a few hours but strongly warned her that she still needed to pay him the money she owed. Chloe took weed home, barely made it through the front door before getting jumped by David. He didn't see the weed thankfully and after a very harsh scolding and being ordered to go to her room, Chloe went upstairs and got lit. Problem was after she was lit, she forgot to get rid of the evidence or turn on fan.

"Oh yeah. Guns, weed..."

Chloe stood up and glared hatefully at David.

"You're trippn' balls."

That wasn't going to work for David. Max was still forced to watch in the background and honestly was starting to wonder if they were ever going to stop fighting.

"I'm sick of your disrespect!"

David ground out, pointing a firm finger down at the floor to magnify his frustration.

"Tell me the truth, that's an order! Who's is it?!"

Chloe had just about had enough of David's nonsense. In heat of the moment, she decided to test Max to see if she was willing to help her out. It wasn't right, what Chloe was about to put on Max but at the same time, what better way to test a friend's loyalty then to make them take the fall for something that wasn't theirs? This method was good enough for Rachel when she used it on Chloe, so it stood to reason it should be good enough for Max.

"It's not my pot."

Chloe looked at Max just in time to see her eyes widen.

"It's Max's."

David was reluctant to accept Chloe's answer but being the deductive military man that he was, he had to question Max, just to see if she was the owner of the weed he found.

"Is this true?"

He gruffly asked, lowering his voice but only a little. He still very much boomed with bravado that made Chloe want to scream.

"Uh, yeah."

Shutting her eyes, Max's features saddened.

"My pot."

Max couldn't believe Chloe had sold her out like that. She was shocked but more then taken by element of surprise, she was hurt. It showed on her face as she weakly nodded her head and Chloe caught it. Instantly, she felt her lungs constrict and her chest cringe with guilt. To Chloe, it was obvious that it wasn't shame for covering Chloe's lie that Max was emitting, but betrayal. Chloe thought it would make her feel good, testing Max like that but in the end, it only made her sick to her stomach.

"So you're bringing drugs into my home?"

David powerfully sauntered over to Max and didn't spare her feelings. Seeing the fury on his face, Chloe snapped out of her daze and tried to get in between them but seeing Chloe from the corner of his eye, David lifted up his arm, cutting her off and forcing her to remain still behind him. Chloe sneered at him for it but didn't move, much to David's delight.

"How about it I call the police? That would screw up your spotless Blackwell record."

The more Chloe gazed at Max's lowered head and watched how she cowered pitifully under David's frame, the more she was considering rewinding time and taking the heat instead. Not the guns or raiding his files, just the weed.

"You sure do seem to get around a lot, "Max". I'm sick of you losers dragging Chloe down."

Max couldn't talk back to David, he wasn't allowing her to and even if he did, Max screwed herself over when she said the pot was hers.

"Oh you're on a roll, aren't you? Between the fire alarm, getting in between me and Kate Marsh and now this."

Max winced when David poked her roughly in her shoulder. Now David was walking into Max and forcing her to shy away from him. One would think he'd be satisfied with her silence but no, he continued to drill her and cause her distress with his accusations.

"You don't have anything smart to say now? Do you? Huh?"

Another jab to her shoulder and another soft cry fell from Max's lips.

_Alright. I can't do this to her. Dang it, why did I have to let my feelings get the better of me again? We're supposed to be working things out and I just... ugh! I **suck**  at this!_

At that moment, Chloe saw the tears starting to form in Max's eyes and that's all it took for her to raise her arm behind David and rewind time. She went pretty far back, clear up to when she opened her eyes on her bed.

"Okay... Max is coming over."

Chloe sat up on her bed and looked at the cracked clock on her wooden end table.

"Six thirty? That means David's about to come in here. I'm gonna beat him to it and make this a whole lot easier for myself. If I'm lucky, I can get him outta the house  _before_  Max gets here."

Chloe scrambled off the bed, hurriedly got dressed, got her truck keys, her smart phone and headed straight for her mother and David's room. Her mother was still sleeping when she barged in but David was standing in front of the closet in his underwear, reaching for one of his Blackwell uniforms.

"Hey step-douche."

Frowning, David whipped his head around and opened his mouth to quietly scold Chloe for barging in the bedroom without knocking.

"Chloe how many times do I have to-"

Chloe was by the computer desk, right where he could see her.

"Here. Take it. Take all of it."

Chloe proceeded to dig through her pockets.

"Take the phone, the truck keys, my wallet and ground me for as long as you like. I'll stay home and do my chores, okay?"

David's jaw dropped and for a split second he wondered if he was dreaming.

"What did you say?"

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"You heard me. Now, take this stuff, do whatever you gotta do to make yourself feel better and go to work."

Frowning, David pointed at himself.

"Are you  _ordering_  me to leave my own home and go to my job? Furthermore, how did you know I wanted to do this? Take your privileges away from you?"

Chloe shrugged, raised a hand and cut him off, already done with the conversation and on her way out of the door.

"Just please leave before eight okay? I want to contemplate what got me in this horrible situation and think about the awful things I've done for a few hours."

David wasn't stupid. Chloe's tone was pure sarcasm and she was just saying that to get to him anyway. Just when he thought he was starting to figure Chloe out, she pulled a fast one on him. Lowering his gazer to the computer desk, David eyed the items with great interest because one item in particular, he knew Chloe would sooner fight him to death for before willing giving it to him. But there, right by the wallet, laid the bag of half used pot. Walking over, David reached down and picked up the bag by the zipper line. No matter what way he sliced it, Chloe handing over the love of her life, was weird.

"Is it a boy? Is she distracted by a boy? Is she pregnant?"

David wondered aloud, but not so loud that he wanted Joyce to hear him.

"I'm going to look into this later. Since Chloe saved me a lot of stress by turning herself in, I'll just head on out."

David resumed getting ready and Chloe returned to her room, sat on the edge of her bed, wringing her hands nervously.

"Why did she have to look at me like that? Why couldn't she toughen up and follow my lead? Then again, Max isn't the super hero in this relationship. I am. She's the sidekick."

Chloe eased back on her forearms and lazily glanced over at her stereo.

_Guess I'll listen to some tunes quietly until mom and David get outta here and Max shows up._

Chloe got up but stopped short, feeling a semi warm liquid spill from her right nostril.

"What the?"

Looking down, Chloe lifted her hand up just in time to catch some heavy drops of blood.

"Why did that happen?"

Chloe's eyebrows knit together and furrowed slightly.

"Uhh, I need to stop this before I make a mess over myself."

Chloe hurried to the bathroom and got some toilet paper. She went through a whole roll before the bleeding finally stopped. She threw the ruined toilet paper in the trash can. Afterwards, she raised her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"Whoa. Too much blow maybe? But, I've smoked heavy before and don't wind up having a nose bleed. And when I did get them, it wasn't that bad and it didn't last that long."

Chloe turned on the faucet, lowered her cupped hands, collected up the cold water then splashed her face a few times, hoping to refresh herself.

"That was hella weird. Well, might as well shower since I'm in here and get ready for my day with Max."

Giving herself one last look in the mirror, Chloe began to strip herself down and even though the nose bleed had stopped, Chloe couldn't help but wonder as she took her shower if the nose bleed happened because of her power. It was pure speculation and not something she hoped was true. Shrugging the pending worry away, Chloe went about with her shower and found herself thinking about the tornado vision, much to her disappointment. Following her shower, Chloe got dressed and put in the mixed CD Rachel had made for her. As she was doing this, she heard a bird land on the window seal in front of her computer desk. Curious, Chloe walked backwards to see what kind of bird has come to visit her, for many birds come and go periodically. The bird that landed on the window seal and caught her eye, was a common crow. It was tall, firm in its posture and looking right Chloe. Chloe caught her breath and she wasn't sure why. For the longest time, they stared at one another in a stiff silence. Neither Chloe or the crow flinched or moved their limbs. It was creepy and in its own way, impressive.

_Dude. He's just like that blue jay. Like, it's practically glowing. Is it the water they're drinking or the insects they're eating that's pumping them up or what?_

Just as Chloe thought she could break posture and go over to the computer desk to get a closer look, the crow fluffed up its feather, hopped back and took off with a powerful flap of its wings, cawing loudly as it did so. Frowning, Chloe arched an eyebrow and turned away from the computer desk and went back over to the Samsung stereo to prep the music. Chloe was so focused on getting the mix CD to load and work right, she failed to notice how a blue jay flew up to the window seal and took the crow's place. Unlike the crow, the blue jay remained on the window seal and observed Chloe until Max appeared at the top of the sidewalk one hour and twenty minutes later. Turning it's head, it chirped loudly, drawing Chloe's attention. Chloe glanced up from the comic she and Max had made together and saw a glimpse of the blue jay before it took off for the sky. Cocking her head, Chloe rolled off the bed went over to the computer desk for the second time that morning. She saw Max's figure off in the distance drawing closer with each step. Turning around, Chloe left her bedroom, deciding now would be a good time to go downstairs to meet her. By the time Max climbed the steps to Chloe's house, Chloe was there to open the door and greet Max with a brief tipping of her head. Max stumbled back, startled at the sight of Chloe standing there in the doorway, hair mussed, narrowed eyes with bags under them, and tired arms firmly crossed across the chest.

"Hello Max. Come in."

Chloe stepped back, giving Max space to enter.

"I've been expecting you."

Max blinked, lifted her finger, instantly dropped it and her confused eyes darted all over Chloe's face, unsure of what she should do. She glanced left, then right, left again then set her confused eyes on Chloe.

"Chloe, why did you leave?"

Chloe did not answer, she merely jerked her head to the side to indicate for Max to hurry up and get in the house. Sighing, Max came in and waited for Chloe to shut the door.

"I could ask you the same question but you know what? Screw it. There's something I need to tell you."

"Why did you leave Chloe?"

Max asked again, refusing to leave the topic alone. Chloe reached out and pressed a finger against Max's lips to silence her.

"If you let me explain what I need to say... then you'll have your answer. But I'm warning you, what I'm about to tell is... hard to take in and has radically changed my life. And something tells me Max, it's going to change yours too."

Chloe slowly lowered her finger away from Max's lips and made sure to study her reaction carefully, because if Max was unwilling to listen, there was no point in talking with her.

"Okay Chloe. What is it that you want to tell me?"

Chloe was glad Max wasn't making it difficult like Frank had. Grateful that she was going to hear her out, Chloe out stretched her hand and offered it to Max. Shooting her a small grin, Chloe chose to forget about the first encounter with Max before she rewound time. She was wrong to use a forceful tactic on her and planned on making it up to, once she got Max updated on everything.

"Take my hand?"

Max humored Chloe and took hold of her hand. Chloe's fingers gently curled around Max's hand and Max did the same to Chloe's.

"I only have a hour before my first class starts. Will this... take long?"

Chloe started to lead Max up the stairs. Without looking at her, Chloe gingerly remarked,

"That will depend on how well you handle the news. I'm gonna sum it up real quick like so that should help."

Max wasn't sure what Chloe was going to say. For the moment, she smiled to herself and was content to know that Chloe seemed happy to see her and wasn't guilt tripping her for the obvious. Once the two girls were safely inside Chloe's bedroom, Chloe sat Max down on the edge of her bed and she told Max the truth about everything that had happened to her since yesterday morning. Unlike Frank, Max didn't give Chloe weird looks but she did cover her mouth with a hand, lean back on her forearm and look deep in thought every so often.

"Sooo..."

Max drew out the word and slowly raised up one finger to point at Chloe.

"When you were about to hurl that day on the steps, the reason you were glad to see me, the reason you bailed on me and left without a word later on, is because this whole time, you've been rewinding time and when something bad happens you want to fix it?"

Chloe nodded once.

"Basically and I'm telling you right now Max, I suck at this. I suck bad."

Taking pity on her, Max offered Chloe a hopeful, wry smile.

"If this is really happening and I think it is, you've reacted better to these changes better then I would have if that's any consolation?"

"Better?"

Chloe echoed, followed by a soft scoff.

"Dude, I let you get shot by Nathan. Twice. I pissed you off at the dorm and ruined any hope of connecting with you, then I let my emotions get the better of me and happily let you take the fall for  _my_  pot because..."

Chloe looked down at he wooden floor, struggling to find the right words to say.

"Because..."

Max's ear perked up hearing the shift in Chloe's voice. It was breaking and for some reason, that really made Max want to get off the bed and hold her. Not because they were best friends, not because it would be comforting in general but because Max genuinely felt like Chloe was in dire need of having someone who believed in her story, reassure her that she wasn't crazy and that everything was real. She was real, with a real power and could alter people's fates. Like hers, apparently and even though Chloe admitted she was still upset at Max for what happened between them, the fact that she went back in time to correct the situation told Max that Chloe still cared about her.

"Because I was upset at you and at the same time, I don't wanna ruin this again like I've ruined everything else in my life. I should be happy you're here and we're together again but all I could seem to think about was getting back at you when all I've ever wanted Max is you. Ever since this crap started, all I wanted was for you to be with me. I wanted to run to you and tell you about this, not Frank."

Max opened her mouth to inquire who Frank was but Chloe lifted her hand, stopping her in mid sentence.

"He's a creepy drug dealer and probably has forgotten everything but my debt. Moving on."

Max managed to smile at the hurried statement.

"Look, I'm sorry for hurting your feelings back then, I'm sorry for not trying harder and expecting you to do all the work, I'm sorry for hurting you period. I just want my best friend back and I wanna find my other best friend and find out what happened to her. But for whatever the messed up reason is, I got this power that I can't even begin to explain. I'm such a screw up and nothing I do anymore makes sense but Max, I want you back so please just... come back? I don't wanna..."

Chloe hit her knees and grabbed at her hair, hating that the tears she felt building were finally flowing freely down her face. Chloe wanted to wipe the tears away but she was unable to break her defined sag in posture. Everything was hitting her all at once, emotionally, mentally, you name it, it all rushed over her and made her feel utterly useless. Max not commenting, didn't help Chloe's self-esteem at all.

"I don't wanna be alone anymore! Why does everyone I love leave?! First my dad dies, then you move away and now Rachel!"

Chloe didn't intend to get so worked up or go so far as to blurt out her feelings before Max. It was embarrassing for her to let Max see her trying to keep her borderline personality disorder hidden but it was even harder to admit she was struggling to stay in control.

"Chloe."

Max whispered, standing up.

"It's okay."

Max softly assured her, kneeling down in front of her. Without hesitation, Max took Chloe into her arms.

"So, Rachel Amber was your friend?"

Chloe clung to Max, sniffed and buried her face in the nape of Max's neck.

"That's putting it mildly."

Chloe muttered, opening her eyes half way.

"Her missing posters are all over Blackwell."

Chloe took a deep breath and allowed a few more tears fall before forcing herself to stop crying so she could properly talk to Max.

"Yeah, I put them up... she was my angel. After my dad died and you moved, I felt abandoned. Rachel saved my life."

Max was staring straight ahead at the wall, occupying her eyes with the various posters pinned on the wall. Resting her chin on top of Chloe's head, Max waited for Chloe's soft hiccups to settle before asking more questions.

"Man, I had no idea."

Max shyly admitted, giving Chloe nothing but ammo to use against her. Max wasn't terribly surprised when Chloe spoke up and did exactly that.

"Well you never made much effort to find out. I was 14, we were best friends."

Max didn't counter Chloe for jabbing at her. If anything, she felt Chloe needed to be as honest as possible and truly, Max needed to do the same. Otherwise, they weren't get past the gap.

"I never forgot. Even if I was a jerk, and didn't keep in touch. But you had Rachel."

Max said the words to be encouraging but Chloe saw them as depressing.

"Rachel had my back. We were gonna turn the world upside."

Chloe took a moment to glance up at Max.

"You would laugh at how different we were. She wanted to be a star."

Max smiled, remembering how Rachel looked from the missing posters.

"She looks like a model."

Chloe went back to snuggling into Max and thoroughly enjoyed the back rubs. It didn't make all her anxiety go away but it took some of the edge off.

"That was her plan.  _Our_  plan. Get out of Bigfootville and into Los Angeles."

Well if that was what they were going to do, Max wanted to know why. Clearing her throat, she quietly inquired,

"So, what happened? Did your folks, your mom, try to stop you?"

Chloe grunted.

"My mom was too busy hooking up with Sergeant Brickhead."

Max rolled her eyes.

"I feel the love. Now when did Rachel actually disappear?"

Feeling much more stable than earlier, Chloe leaned out of Max's arms but remained sitting beside her on the floor.

"Six months ago. She just... left Arcadia. Without a word. Without..."

Trailing off, Chloe's features hardened and Max noted the change.

" _Me_."

Max knew it was stupid on her part but she went ahead and asked a dumb, obvious question.

"How do you know she disappeared? Maybe she wanted to start a totally new life?"

Chloe shook her head rigidly from side to side.

"Unlike you, she would of told me, okay? Something happened to her."

Max glanced at Chloe, her face apologetic.

"I believe you. I'm just trying to get all deductive."

"Before Rachel left, she said she met somebody who changed her life. Then poof."

"And you haven't heard anything from her since?"

Chloe shook her head again, less aggressively.

"Like everybody in life. My dad, you... and Rachel. Gone."

Max had heard enough. She didn't want to cause Chloe anymore distress by talking about painful subjects so she fell silent and went back to cradling Chloe. Max stayed with Chloe until she had to go back to Blackwell. Chloe forgot to mention to Max that she was grounded when she was at her house, so she sent her a text explaining that minor situation and wound up asking her to come back to visit later in the evening. Max didn't see a problem with it. Homework or not, Max would return to Chloe. She was going through some serious stuff and Max wanted to help ease Chloe's problems. At the most, be available to her when and if Chloe needed her. If Chloe wanted her to chill with her after school, then that's what Chloe was going to get.

 

* * *

 

Max meant well, she had intended to get back up with Chloe but something unexpected and horrible happened at school. During Mark's class, Zachary, a renown jock of the football team, interrupted Mark's lecture to report that Kate was on top of the girl's dormitory and was planning on doing something crazy. Mark told his students to remain seated but they didn't listen and rushed to the girl's dormitory. Max was among her peers and arrived on the scene too late. Kate jumped and her body was graphically splattered against the pavement in front of the building. Chloe was upset that Max hadn't called or texted her back during this tragic event but when Max finally got over the initial shock of seeing one of her dear friends die in front of her, she did wind up calling Chloe later on into the night and wearily explained why she wasn't able to come over like she had planned.

Principal Wells locked the campus down and nicely forced the students to stay on campus. Cops were everywhere, many students were being interrogated, as were the teachers. It was a mess. Chloe listened to Max tell her this tale in a glum, sincere silence. She was holding up okay for Max until she heard Max drop her smart phone and sob uncontrollably in the background. Max wished she could've done something, regretted not being around, thinking if she had been at school instead of with Chloe, she might have been able to prevent Kate's death. Max picked her smart phone back up and apologized for breaking down without warning and firmly reassured Chloe she didn't regret coming over to see her, but merely was expressing the irony of it all. The bottom line was, Max wasn't there and as a result, Max blamed herself for Kate's death. Frowning, Chloe asked Max why she would think this and put that kind of responsibility on herself. Max got teary eyed all over again and admitted that she saw the signs and knew Kate was struggling and needed help but kept letting it slide. Hearing Max sound so crushed and the heavy remorse in her voice, knowing that Max wasn't taking the news well, all amounted up to Chloe doing one thing.

She was going to rewind again, all the way back to this morning and instead of submitting her belongings to David, she was going to sneak out, drive to Blackwell and find a place to hide until Kate decided to make her move. Chloe could barely handle time power and all the crazy things that were going on because of it. Getting a phone call and hearing Max cry that hard and mourn over Kate, who for the record, was the reason Max couldn't keep their meeting both saddened and angered Chloe. Chloe wasn't going to help Max's friend because she truly cared, although to some degree she did value Kate's life and wanted the girl to be happy. However, Kate dying, got in the way of their bond time. Kate dying, scarred Max and messed her up dying, made the atmosphere darker somehow and Chloe wasn't going to put up with that kind of foolishness, not when she was so close to restoring her status with Max. Just in case Max tried heading over to her house like she did before, Chloe texted Max and said they needed to talk later and to wait for her to reply back. Max understood and told Chloe in the text she'd wait for her to get up with her. With Max secured on campus, Chloe could pour all her energy into saving Kate.

"Come on, where's the action?"

Chloe was keeping a sharp eye out for Kate from her hiding spot behind some bushes. She would have loved to have be in the open somewhere, but she needed to be extra careful about hiding herself. Earlier, Chloe saw David snapping a photo of Kate as she was walking to class. As much as Chloe wanted to pretend like she didn't know why David was being a creeper, she already did, and it put her on edge. He was doing that was for his creepy files in the garage. Chloe went through them one day when she was alone at the house. She saw the people he had leads on. Rachel was one of them and oddly enough, so was Max. In the mist of waiting for Kate to leave the building, Chloe nodded off. She didn't mean to, but her time power was starting to make itself known the more she used it. The farther back she went, the more exhausted she became. It was the hurried, frantic steps of the students that snapped Chloe awake several minutes later. Sitting up on the grass, she yawned then rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Thanks to the past and Max's phone call, Chloe already knowing what was transpiring so she didn't bother to freak out like everyone else.

"Okay, time to get to work."

Chloe didn't see David. That was good. Otherwise, she'd have to figure out a way to get around him and she needed the extra time to try and save Kate. Chloe walked quickly, increasing her pace with each stride. By the time she arrived at the girl's dormitory, Kate was already on the roof and preparing to jump. Sadly, Chloe was too late, even though she came to the school early to give herself a head start. Kate jumped, the people screamed, and she saw from her secluded position how Max hit her knees and burst into tears.

_That’s not gonna happen again. Not on my watch, not to my Max!_

Filled with a surge of determination, Chloe raised her arm and tried to focus extra hard. Then, time as she knew it paused. Not only did time stop, the setting to the very people involved were frozen solid. Chloe felt the strain almost instantly and she had to fight it to keep things as it was. She didn't intend to freeze everyone or everything but considering Kate was ten seconds away from jumping if time unfroze, Chloe took all the luck she could get.

_Come on Chloe. Keep... going... almost there._

Chloe wanted to run to speed up to the top of the roof, but she was literally forced to walk there. It felt awful, her arm burned, and her head was killing her. By the time she reached the roof, she could feel the effects of time starting to shift back to normal. Chloe barely made it before time resumed. She saw Kate up ahead, standing on the ledge and thought if she could try to freeze time again, she could get close enough to nab her, let time flow and force Kate down the stairs if needed.

That didn't happen.

When Chloe tried to rewind/freeze time again, she was zapped in her arm by an invisible force. She cried out, a little louder than intended. Kate whirled around, but kept her balance on the ledge. Blood began to run from Chloe's right nostril, which didn't help matters at all. Grunting, Chloe reached up and wiped the blood away. It was raining really hard but she scarcely noticed it. All she could seem to think about, was trying to prevent Kate from killing herself so Max wouldn't be so messed up by it later on.

_What the? I can't use my power? Aww balls. Do I gotta rely on my own skills to save Kate then? Oh man. She's so dead. I am not the miracle worker in this. Well... here's goes nothing I guess._

"What the? Chloe? What are you doing here? And when did you even-"

"Kate!"

Chloe rasped, doubling over from the pain she was experiencing. It was so bad, Chloe had to place the palms of her hands on her kneecaps and literally take tiny breaths to get herself centered.

_Oooohhh yeah. It's official. No more midnight weed binges and munchies. This is just sad on my part. Rachel would be proud I've increased my intake but hella disappointed that I've gotten lazy I think. Which is crazy because she could be lazy too._

Swallowing a hard lump, Chloe pointed down at the wet pavement.

"Getover here before I  _drag you_ over here or tell God to throw you over here. One or the two, it's gonna happen. Don't push me, don't test me, don't make this harder then it has to be. Just get over here. Now."

Kate blinked, not expecting to be confronted by Chloe. Then again, this was Chloe Price she was talking to. Kate remembered Chloe for her wild, her crazy rebel streaks, her defiance to all authorities everywhere that breathed. Why would she think Chloe would show compassion during something as crucial and life-threatening as a suicide?

"Chloe, I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up. I-"

Chloe rolled her eyes, let out a nosy sigh and gave Kate such an unimpressed look.

"Oh for crying out loud! People care about you okay?"

Kate's face sobered but carried a serious undertone.

"Oh yeah? Like who? You don't care about me Chloe Price. You were too busy with Rachel and being a jerk to the world to give two figs about anyone else."

Chloe quieted her slightly labored breathing, lifted her head and straightened out her posture. The popping of her neck and shoulders bones made her grimace inwardly. Honestly, Chloe couldn't tell if that was bent up tension or if it was a result of using her gift.

"Wow. Suicide really brings out the worst out in a Christian, huh? I didn't expect this kinda sassy attitude from you. Last time I checked, I didn't make trouble for you when I was here. I just ignored people like you. It's Victoria, Nathan and all the rich popular kids that did this to you, right?"

Kate clenched her jaw so tight, she actually scraped her teeth and hurt herself.

"Chloe! You're not helping! In fact, it's because people have ignored me I'm also up here! No one cared enough to notice my struggle, no one!"

Sensing Kate's rising anger at her and more of the nerve to jump, Chloe raised her hands and slowly motioned at Kate to calm down.

"Look, I'm not good when it comes to helping others. I'm terrible at being sentimental and understanding."

"Then why come up here? No offense Chloe, but you're making me want to jump even more..."

_Ahh balls. This isn't turning out the way I'd hope._

Chloe fought through the discomfort the time power was creating for her and firmly gestured between the two of them using her arms.

"You and I have something in common. We have people that bully us but then have one person in the background who was always there that loved us and cared for us, even when we didn't ask her to. It's the love of that same person that brought me up here to this roof and is making me make a fool outta myself. Alright? Now get down and let's talk about..."

Chloe glanced down momentarily then caught Kate's eyes with her own.

_Dude. I am **no** t feeling this and I don't think Kate is feeling it either... I can't blame her. I'd jump if I had to listen to my advice too._

"Whatever it is you need to talk about. Oh wait, not with me. With someone else who specializes in these sorts of things."

Kate stared at Chloe with a crazed look in her eyes, torn between laughing at her and jumping or just jumping with her last thought of Chloe burned into her mind.

"Kate listen to me closely, okay? I tried killing myself too. On a train track in the middle of the night. Thankfully, I had someone who cared about me that showed up and got me off those tracks. But you know what? Even with that person loving me and helping me, I still suffered from a mental health issue that makes me feel all sorts of negative that requires me to take meds. I fight through everyday of my wretched life, doing whatever it takes to get by. Wanna know why? Because I haven't fully recovered from loosing my dad and well, I'm just a screw up so you know what else? It takes a screw up to know a screw up. But you're not anywhere near my level of crazy. Trust me on that one, alright? Last I heard, you still got family who are here, very much alive in your life that care about you."

"You said people here at Blackwell cared about me? Mind telling me who? Because my so called family made it pretty clear that I was the biggest shame and embarrassment to our family. All over an accident, all over that stupid video!"

Chloe was done. She didn't want to piss around anymore. If Kate was going to jump, then she'd just have to run over there and grab her first. And that's exactly what Chloe did. She dashed at Kate so fast, Kate wasn't ready for it. By the time she turned around and took that first step, Chloe's hand latched around her wrist. With little effort, she pulled the weaker girl off the ledge and into her own arms. The two went down, mainly because Chloe was weak from using her time power at the extent that she did and also because Kate was extra dead weight she couldn't support. Now that Kate was safely off the ledge and in her arms, Chloe dipped her head and tore into her. Not the wisest option but it was effective in grasping her attention.

"That person who cares about you is Max! She's the reason I'm up here! She'll be crushed if you die and I don't want you to die either Kate. Look, we may not be close but you're cool and an awesome person. Screw the video, people are gonna think what they want no matter what you do right or do wrong. If they're not gonna be understanding that it was a big misunderstanding, fine. If they're going to chose to understand, more power to them. But your life can't just be thrown away over a video. Bullies suck dude but you know what? So does loosing and giving them the satisfaction that they got to you. Fight back Kate, you're not alone. Max cares. Why isn't she enough? She was enough for me, why can't she be enough for you? Give her a chance, let her love you or whatever."

Chloe increased her grip around Kate, almost to the point of smothering the smaller girl.

"Just don't do this. The people and family who really do care about you, will forever be mourning you if you jump. How is that fair to them? So lemme get this straight, it's okay for you to die and just leave them in shambles huh while you kick it up with Jesus? You may be fine or whatever, but the ones who really loved you, stay here and reap the after effects of your actions? Screw that crap, okay? You can do better. I believe in you if that's any consolation at all. Um, please say that is because I'm running out of stuff to say here."

Chloe's voice softened and she found herself tearing up against her will. Kate saw it and that was the right thing for Chloe to do apparently because she took Chloe's tears as a sign to stop. Her own eyes widened seeing Chloe's face reflect what she perceived as true compassion. Sniffing, Kate bowed deeply before Chloe and allowed herself to finally relax on Chloe's lap. Chloe leaned over Kate, shielding her from the rain somewhat as she did so.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Chloe grinned weakly, feeling accomplished over what just happened, even though she totally bombed at the whole heart-to-heart speech. Laughing softly, Chloe lowered her face further down near Kate's and in a rare moment of affection, gave the poor kid a brief nuzzle, as if to say she did good. Under normal circumstances, neither girl would have done this or allowed it. But even Chloe could see that Kate needed emotional support and physical reassurance in that moment and she was the only person on the roof with her until further notice.

"What are you talking about? You saved Max from having to go to class."

That got a small bitter chuckle out of Kate.

"Yeah? I guess I did."

Taking a deep breath, Chloe made sure to sit still and keep her body over Kate, just in case she got itchy feet and tried to repeat the suicide. Thankfully, David and some other local authorities made it up to the roof and took over the situation. David wanted to yell at Chloe for coming onto school ground but not even he could utter a word of disapproval. Chloe saved a girl from jumping to her death. Her performance, though sloppy and slightly concerning, prevented a loss of life. David had to acknowledge that, even if it hurt his pride. After Kate was taken down below and secured by the local authorities, the security guards helped usher the students back inside to their classrooms.

Chloe had to stay behind and answer a few questions in Principal Wells office. Officer Berry, David, Mark Jefferson, Nathan Prescott were all present in the room with Chloe. Chloe tried to act like Nathan's presence didn't bother her but who was she fooling? Anyone with eyes could see the fiery sparks of tension those two kids had for each other close up or a mile away. Following her briefing in Principal Wells office, Chloe was dismissed. David was so in awe that Chloe had done something that heroic and that powerful for Blackwell, he revoked his punishments and ungrounded Chloe. Chloe forced a thank you then went off in search of Max. She had a lot of explaining and re-explaining to do. Hopefully Max would believe about the time power like she did the first time and also be willing to kiss and make up.

_So help me if one more person or situation gets between me and Max again, I'm gonna throat punch someone!_

Chloe stopped outside of Max's classroom and waited for Mark to conclude his lecture. A boring half hour later, the bell rang and Mark's students were released. Max walked over to Chloe and pushed against her shoulder with her hand in greeting. Chloe remembered how she did the same action just yesterday evening and how her hand was so tense. She was resisting Chloe back now. This time, Chloe could tell she wanted her attention and was fine with being close to her.

"You were awesome earlier Chloe. Wowser. My best friend is the true everyday hero of this town and hey, you're not even a student in a photo contest."

Chloe scratched at an invisible itch under her armpit, not liking the emphasized attention on what she had done. It cost her terribly and she wasn't so sure she did the greatest job at convincing Kate to stay alive.

"Eh. I did 'alright I suppose. I'm just glad she's okay now and getting the help she deserves."

Max and Chloe started to walk down the crowded hallways and were careful to avoid bumping into other students.

"How did you get up there so fast without anyone noticing? You were like a ninja."

Chloe laughed but it was strained, almost forced out.

"If I was ninja, I would of taken off her head."

Chloe paused, remembering something important.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. It's not the greatest topic for me Max. No offense. But there  _is_  something else I'd like to talk to you about."

Now outside the building, the two ventured down the steps and headed towards the girl's dormitory.

"Okay. What is it?"

Chloe shook her head.

"Not here. At my house."

Chloe stopped suddenly and Max stopped too. She looked at her with a soft smile on her face and patiently waited for Chloe to keep walking or to say something. Cupping her chin, Chloe considered their options. She turned to Max and reached out to rest her hand on Max's shoulder. She gave it a gentle squeeze before moving it away.

"Actually, come spend the night with me."

Max arched her neck back in shock, somewhat puzzled by the offer.

"Please?"

Chloe insisted, knowing it would be more beneficial for them both if they could relax in the privacy of her bedroom and far away from people.

"Uhh, okay. Sure. Why not? We haven't spent the night in, well, ages. I'll do anything for you hero."

Max finally remarked, finding her voice. Chloe rolled her eyes and playfully hit Max upside her head.

"That nickname is not staying. So don't get used to it."

Max giggled.

"Oh all right. Let's stop by my dorm and pick up a few things and then we can go."

Nodding, Max went ahead of Chloe to go gather her supplies for the night. Chloe remained behind, outside. She took a seat on the bench and rested her weary mind and limbs. She observed the other students coming going, not really looking at them, not really watching them, just staring at through and at nothing before her drooping eyes.

"Mmm... why am I so tired?"

 

* * *

 

 **Song:[Local Natives](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN-CqIytN2U)**  - Mt. Washington

* * *

 

 

**Face stained in the ceiling**

 

Chloe used the back of her hand to rub across the bridge of her nose. That's when she caught sight of the start of an eerie eclipse.

 

**Why does it keep saying,**

 

"Dude.  _What_  is this?"

Chloe gazed up at the gradually darkening sky and through tired, burning eyes, she raised the hand that contained her time power.

 

**"I don't have to see you right now?"**

 

"There was no eclipse scheduled today. Why is this even happening?"

No one was around to answer Chloe's question except herself and she was already putting two and two together. She just didn't want to admit it.

 

**"I don't have to see you right now?"**

 

"You know what? I think I'm at the point where I'll believe anything this week."

Lowering her head, Chloe hugged herself hard, feeling a shift in the air. It hit her out of nowhere and chilled her straight to her bones. Chloe remained in that bent over position until Max came back down and found her.

"Ready to go?"

Chloe slowly got to her feet. Facing Max, she stepped in close and gave her a doting pat on her head. Max grinned, enjoying the attention. It gave her awesome hope that Chloe was starting to warm up to her and forgive her for what she had done.

"Yeah. I'm ready. Like you wouldn't believe. Let's bounce."

 

**Digging like you can bury**

 

A few hours later, long after Chloe and Max made it to Chloe's house, Principal Wells leaned into Mark's car and the two argued about something personal.

 

**Something that cannot die**

 

Mark was annoyed at the end of the conversation, but he nodded his head in understanding before zooming off into the sunset.

 

**We could wash the dirt off our hands now**

 

Principal Wells watched him go until he was nothing but a black speck in the distance. Shaking his head, he turned around to return to his office in the school with much weighing on his mind.

 

**Keep it from living underground**

 

Nathan came into a secret room off campus and grinned slowly seeing the drugged girl with a exotic dragon tattoo on her leg who was tightly tied up to a chair.

 

**Lazy summer goddess**

 

Hearing Nathan enter, she groggily lifted her head only to drop it five seconds later. She sat there, hair down, messy as could be and shadowing varies parts of her face. She was drooling slightly on herself because of the effects from the drugs and hating every second of it. What's worse, she was starting to feel like her body might not last much longer if she didn't get away from Nathan and out of the building she was being forced to reside in.

 

**You can tell our whole empire**

 

Nathan went over to get his camera off his computer desk then he turned on his heel, faced the drugged girl and couldn't help but gaze at her with admiration. Despite the fact that Nathan was forcing her to be his hostage, his poser in their secret place, far, far away from the very people who he knew was looking for her and that she would forever resent him for keeping her as his personal pet against her will, Nathan didn't mind. He got down on his knees and greedily crept closer to her, his twisted grin still plastered on his face and readied the of the camera lens for another perfect shot of her lithe timber body.

"That's perfect. You are so good at this Rachel. I was terrified what Mark might do if I took you away from him but you know what? I'd rather have you all to myself then to let you be his for a night then get tossed."

Rachel tried to speak but all that came out of her was another offended low moan and it instantly turned Nathan on. Not just downstairs but also his thrill of capturing the torment on Rachel's face though the lens of his camera.

 

**I don't have to see you right now**

 

Several people at The Old Mill were outside chatting about the eclipse in the sky. Some find it interesting, others find it completely boring and not worth their time. Frank stood at the very end of the building, back pressed against the wooden panels, head bowed deep in thought. He listened to everyone's thoughts on the eclipse and couldn't help but raise his head and look at the creepy shadow overtaking the sun.

 

**I don't have to see you right now**

 

His faithful companion barked viciously up at the sky, as if he was able to see the eclipse for what it truly was. Another sign that the storm was heading for Arcadia Bay and for the first time in his adult life, Frank became afraid and feared for the lives of those he genuinely did consider his friends. Chloe being one of them.

 

**I don't have to see you right now**

 

In the heart of the town, on top of a grand hill was a hospital. Kate was resting on a bed in a comfortable silence and next to her on the end table, were varies get well cards, balloons and flower basket. She lays still and reflected on her day, including the part where she tried to commit suicide. Kate concluded that she was glad Chloe was there to stop her from jumping, talked sense into her and helped her reconsider the choice to live out her life.

 

**I don't have to see you right now**

 

Chloe was nestled comfortably under the covers, one arm under the pillow for extra support, the other dangling over the edge of the mattress with her back to Max. She was panting softly in her sleep and her face fever stricken and agitated the whole while she slept. Eyes squinting in concern, Max draped her arm protectively over Chloe's waist. She pinned her down and pulled Chloe closer to herself. Chloe moaned and stirred slightly feeling Max move her but she didn't wake up.

 

**I don't have to see you right now**

 

Max continued to hold Chloe, long into the night. Eventually Chloe's breathing pattern relaxed and Max listened to her deep snoring, strangely soothed by it. Max wanted to sleep but was unable to sleep. In fact, she couldn't sleep. How could she, after the day she and Chloe had and after what Chloe had to inform her of prior to Chloe going back in time a third time to stop Kate from killing herself? Not only did Max have to hear such devastating news about Kate, she also head to relearn that they had made up and she had chosen to believe everything Chloe told her about the time power. Naturally, Max choose to believe Chloe again which put a lot of Chloe's worries to rest but Max's worries were just beginning. She was sure of it.

 

**I don't have to see you right now**

 

Deep underground in a bunker, there was a man busily filling his syringes with the latest package Nathan obtained for him. Up near the front, there was a cabinet that contained several folders of the names of his victims. In those folders, were pictures of his subjects and empty folders that had yet to be filled. Among the names that were beside each other, neatly stacked on the shelf, was a folder at the end. His latest addition and newest muse in the making. All he needed to do, was catch her, give her the drug and bring her to his dark room. The names on the folders who had yet to be filled from left to right read:

|RACHEL|VICTORIA|MAX|

On the table near the computer, Kate's folder resided. It was open and filled with some prints. Soon, very soon the man was going to make his move. But not even he could figure out for the life of him, what happened to his greatest masterpiece, Rachel Amber. She probably died and it wouldn't of surprised the man if she made it to Los Angeles alive either. Rachel was a stubborn one. She never did know when to lay down and quit. His only regret was being able to capture her with his lens before she died or was living it large somewhere else in the world.

 


	5. Episode 5: Time & Disorder (W)

**Wednesday, October 9th**

* * *

 

Blinking open sleepy eyes, Max came to first. She wasn't sure when she had let go of Chloe, but it didn't really matter. She was still with her. After the deep review she had last night, Max would be a fool to think she could laugh it off and go back to living a "normal" life with Chloe. Time power? Rewinding events to undo poor choices? Really? Max couldn't wrap her head around it all without experiencing some anxiety, so she didn't think about it much after Chloe told her everything, including the depressing news about the tornado vision. Taking a small breath, Max rolled her head and found herself staring up at the flaky ceiling. Max was content, just lying there and listening to the morning sounds from outside. Chloe was happily lounging on her back with one arm tucked behind her head while the other lazily draped across her stomach. She wasn't snoring anymore but her deep breathing told Max Chloe was exhausted.

_Wowser. My best friend is a superhero. That's insane, kinda scary but in many respects, really cool. I mean, it sucks that I died in the bathroom and got shot by Nathan on the steps... but in the end, Chloe did rewind and she... she saved me. Even though she was still angry at me, she saved me. That's insane._

Turning her head to look at Chloe, Max took a moment to study Chloe's face. She was curious to see if the fever had gone away, or at the most, eased up a little. Chloe's posture was very relaxed, and her features were much softer, free of the tension that had worried Max last night.

_She looks so out of it. Even though she tries to hide it, I know Chloe like the back of my left hand. Well..._

Max's eyes roved over Chloe's room.

_What I can remember of her. So much of her has changed, it's no wonder I didn't recognize her that day on the steps._

Yawing softly, Max gently rubbed the sleep out of her eyes then reached over the side of the bed to pick up her camera. She minded her movement, so she wouldn't disturb Chloe. Titling her head to the side just slightly, Max adjusted how she was holding the camera until she got the right angle.

_I'm going to always remember this moment._

She told herself and was just about to press the button to take the picture when Chloe snuggled up behind her and placed her chin on Max's shoulder.

"Photo bomb!"

Chloe cheerfully exclaimed, distracting Max from taking the shot. Raising her eyebrows, Max glanced over the shoulder at Chloe and couldn't help but smile at Chloe's innocence.

"Photo hog."

Max looked back into the lens of the camera, made sure to brush her head against Chloe's then pressed the button. Satisfied, Chloe scooted away from Max's back and gave her some space. She laid on her side and waited for Max to face her. Once Max had properly tucked the camera away in her duffel bag, she eased up half way and rested on her elbows.

"It feels like a different world from yesterday."

"We left a skid mark on Blackwell last night."

Remembering how fast Chloe zoomed out of the parking lot, Max smirked as she glanced down at Chloe.

"Like it needs another one."

Max looked off, stared at nothing for a moment then twisted her body around so she could level herself with Chloe.

"I'd like to do something good for my school and Arcadia Bay."

Just when Chloe was wondering where Max was going with her story, Max dipped her head and smiled again.

"I can't even submit my photo to represent... I dunno, I guess just don't want to be rejected."

Chloe mirrored Max's smile with one of her own. It was cute, that Max was confining her fears about the Everyday Hero contest to her. It actually touched Chloe on a personal level. She thought they'd have to work up to that, get to know each other all over again before they shared secrets or their fears of something. Chloe could tell Max trusted her by the way she behaved and treated her. This helped Chloe coop with some things, such as friendship insecurities, feeling unworthy to be in Max's life despite their falling out, etc. Max needed advice, not a superhero. Chloe could do that. Giving out advice was a lot easier than trying to save the world.

"Every great artist gets rejected before they get accepted. So, you have to enter a photo."

Max's face dropped hearing those words.

"Even though I'm pimping the school and town you want to torch? Last night, after the whole... uh... confessing your secret and all, you  _nicely_  let me know how much you wanted to drop a bomb on this place and turn it to glass. So... yeah."

Seeing Max's shift on the bed and look away from her made Chloe feel bad. Mainly because Max thought she was being hardcore serious from last night and meant those words. Frowning, Chloe quietly admitted,

"Come on, I don't want to see Arcadia Bay burned to the shore. I just say stuff like that because I've been trying to get out of here since..."

Chloe averted her eyes away from Max, even though Max wasn't looking at her.

"Since you left, basically."

As Chloe rolled over onto her side to find the remote to the stereo, Max stole a quick glance at Chloe then snapped her head forward. She felt a little better, knowing that Chloe didn't really want to see harm brought to their hometown.

"If I could find Rachel, then pay Frank off, I'm still leaving to start a whole new life."

Max laid back down and resumed her relaxed position from before. Chloe did the same.

"I wish we could just hang out all morning, like we used to. See what spending the night with you does to me? I get lazy."

"And that's a bad thing because?"

Max ran her hands down her face, trying to wake herself up.

"Maybe we should get up? I have to get back to Blackwell soon."

"Oh, does the school girl have a test today?"

Chloe asked, voice ringing thick with sarcasm. Raising her arm and letting it rest behind her head, Max raised her eyes to the ceiling in motion with Chloe.

"I'm starting to feel like going to Blackwell every day  _is_  a test. I just need to get on my regular school schedule again. You'd think after a month I'd be broke in. No luck yet, as is my way as a Caulfield."

Chloe loved how Max said they should get up, but then neither of they actually moved from their comfy spots on the bed.

"I love this morning light. It's so peaceful."

"Wouldn't it be wicked if we could just hand out here forever like when we were kids?"

Chloe asked seemingly out of nowhere. Amused at the question, Max smoothly interjected,

"Yeah, it would. I bet you and Rachel liked hanging out here too."

Chloe briefly closed her eyes then open them half way. Part of her was happy to recall the days of their time together, another part of her was bitter because she couldn't make more memories with her.

"You know it. She reminded me of you when we faked sleeping so our parents wouldn't make us get up too early Saturday morning."

The more Chloe talked about Rachel, the more Max found herself wanting to learn about her. Pressing her lips together, Max decided if there was time to express her curiosity about Rachel, now would be it.

"Did you guys have a lot of sleepovers?"

Chloe smirked.

"As many as possible. But it was more fun at her place. Step-commando wanted us up at the crack of dawn."

Thinking Max might feel left out and not valued because of her history with Rachel, Chloe made sure to add,

"It's cool to be back here with you."

"So, Chloe. You never really told me if you had a serious boyfriend while I was away."

Chloe lost her cocky smile and instantly, her mood sobered.

"Not serious. Hella stupid usually. I went through a "boy toy" phase."

There was a deliberate pause. Max didn't point it out, she simply waited for Chloe to continue with her story.

"Among other things..."

"I can't see you with any other guys around here."

Chloe took that as a compliment, for varies reasons.

"Because you have a good eye. That's why I was glad Rachel came along to rescue me."

Max chuckled and gave Chloe a gentle nudge with her shoulder.

"Dude, it sounds like you  _totally_  crushed on Rachel."

Chloe didn't deny that accusation, in fact, she elaborated on it.

"You would have too. She was smart, sexy and sassy. But she was more to me than that Max. My crush on her, to how I idolized her wasn't in the way most people would assume. Mmm, maybe crush and idolize isn't the right words I'm looking for but I totally adored her and she felt the same way towards me. We..."

Chloe's voice dropped but she didn't realize she had done it. Max did and could tell Chloe's love for Rachel was deep as much as it was personal.

"We loved each other, unconditionally and both us had our reasons to come together when we did. Somehow, someway, the two of us formed a soulmate connection with each other. Kinda like you and I did in the past and um... I'm hoping still have. We are still soulmates, right Max?"

Max lifted her hand and rubbed at her neck and took a minute to process what Chloe had said. Not just about Rachel, but about the two of them. Eyes still glued to the ceiling, Max smiled and felt herself blush from happiness.

_Chloe still thinks of me as her soulmate? Aww, that's so great. And here I thought I would have to earn my place back into her heart as the best friend. Once again, she astounds me._

"Well duh! Just because we were miles apart, never meant that I stopped seeing you as my soulmate. But wait, if you're my soulmate and then became Rachel's soulmate, does that mean Rachel would have fought over both of us? Or was she only interesting in being your BFF and no one else's?"

That got a small chuckle out of Chloe.

"You wish! Then again, maybe? You're a photographer and she wanted to be a model."

Chloe stretched and allowed a small yawn to escape her mouth.

"I am  _so_  wiped out from last night. But it was awesome. You know, once I got over the shock that I did something good for once and saved a life and junk."

Max smiled and moved her hand out to brush against Chloe's. Feeling it, Chloe took the liberty upon herself to lace their fingers together and give Max a gentle squeeze.

"I mean, I admit, I didn't have the greatest day trying to keep your friend from jumping off the roof. I defiantly don't wanna rewind and relive that moment of my life again."

Max squeezed Chloe's hand this time.

"It was hard on you but seriously Chloe, you absolutely did save my friend."

The two glanced down from the ceiling and looked at each other, hands still clasped together.

"Nah bruh. I think there towards the end, Kate saved herself. I couldn't even use my power and my head felt like it was being crushed."

Using her free hand, Max reached over and grazed her hand down Chloe's arm, hoping it would provide her some comfort. Chloe didn't mind it, but she scarcely paid any attention to Max's efforts. She was too wound up, thinking about the events of yesterday. Frowning, Chloe let go of Max's hand and placed both of her hands on her face. Running them down her face, she gave Max a defeated look.

"Then I had no clue what to say to her on that roof. I just went with my feelings, impulses and whatever was gonna work to get her down. Honestly, I'm shocked that the girl didn't get fed up with me and just do it. Dude, I would have... it's not like specialize in that stuff."

Max grinned and gently nudged Chloe's ribs with her elbow.

"Aww, listen to the Pirate Queen and her modesty. Chloe, Kate is alive because of you. You obviously said the right thing, otherwise I don't think she would have gone willing down with you and the authorities. I wonder if that power of yours is going to save us all one day?"

Chloe raised her eyes brows and scoffed at the notion.

"Sure, it is Max. Sure. Meanwhile, the person responsible for this drama is still out there. You know as well as I do that Kate Marsh isn't the party type and this whole bulling and suicide thing just makes it all the more hella creepy."

Chloe sat up on the bed and Max did the same. They looked at each other again, their expressions focused and determined.

"Chloe, someone pushed Kate to that point and I want to find out who did it and why they did it. We have to stop this from happening to anybody else."

Chloe frowned remembering another very important thing to mark off their to-do-list.

"Oh yeah and somehow stop that tornado from wiping out Arcadia Bay?"

Chloe's frown deepened.

"Right?"

Max leaned in as Chloe leaned out.

"Last night, before we went to sleep, didn't you say it was all about "Chaos Theory"? Finding out about what happened to Rachel and who was involved with Kate during that party is one thing, but in general, I don't see any control over this chaos."

Chloe rolled out of the bed but made sure to face Max so they could continue their talk.

"Oh right. Except for my ability to manipulate time and space."

Chloe shrugged.

"No pressure right? I admit that I feel weird about some of my decisions but not weird enough to call it quits. There has to be way to stop that storm Max. But for now, let's focus on looking for clues okay? We can worry about the storm later."

Max got up and went to stand in front of Chloe. Chloe was taller, so usually when they were going to be that close to each other, Chloe would have to bow her head a little so she could have decent eye contact with Max while she spoke.

"Right. For one thing, there's too much coincidence between the people around Kate and Rachel."

"Like step-prick and Nathan Prescott?"

Chloe asked in a dry tone, not the least bit sorry she was using the men as prime suspects for their investigation. Max nodded.

"Of course. They're both sociopaths."

"More like psychopaths. The Blackwell Security Officer even hits own step-daughter. 'Nuff said."

Max nodded again, feeling her muscles tense at the truth she didn't want to believe. But it was true and she walked in the house and saw David hit Chloe. Out of all the things Chloe had to tell her about again, Max wished that encounter with David could have been left out.

"And even though I don't know her, it feels like Rachel is guiding us to the truth."

Chloe's face hardened at the mention of Rachel's name and Max couldn't help but tremble on the inside when she saw it. Chloe seriously loved the girl and wanted her back. As she said, Max didn't know who Rachel was but she had to be a very special person to make Chloe want to bring down the sun and moon.

" _Screw_  the truth. I just want to find my friend right now. It scares me to think where she could be. Do you think she's...?"

Chloe couldn't bring herself to say what she was assuming and what Max was also thinking. Not wanting to believe it either, Max took a different route in hope to cheer them both up.

"Alive?"

The unwanted silence lingered between the two of them, making Chloe's mood sour.

"I have to think that Chloe."

Max finally chimed, trying to be positive and encouraging for Chloe's sake.

"Her spirit is so powerful how can I not hope for the best?"

Chloe walked away from Max and over to stand in front of her closet.

"Maybe too much power. Max, we have to find Rachel. We  _have_ to."

Max reached out and cuffed Chloe's shoulder, then ran her and down her arm.

"I promise you we will. Like you said, it's time to start the search for clues. But first, I need to get dressed and head back to Blackwell. Duty calls."

Chloe stepped into Max and surprised her by dipping her head and placing a tender kiss on Max's cheek. Max's eyes widened in surprise and she Chloe leaned back, she was grinning widely, practically giving her secret away.

"Fair enough. Let's meet up before your afternoon class?"

Max pushed her bangs out of her face and off to the side, sincerely considering the offer.

"Sure, why not? Sounds like fun."

Chloe went over to the closet and opened the door, exposing her and Rachel's outfits. Chloe's were on the far right, Rachel's were on the far left.

"Awesome sauce. We should head over Two Whales and we'll get some grub while we're there. Just for old times sake. Oh and FYI, I just might have a way we can snatch some quick clues for our case, but we'll have to wait until late tonight, after the campus is closed."

Max wasn't sure what Chloe had planned or how much she had thought through her plan, but Max wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Okay Chloe. Oh and don't worry about the bill for lunch. I'll pay for you. If you don't mind? I want to treat you out. I mean, it's the least I can do for you."

Chloe started to bob her head in understanding, then frowned, remembering that there was something important that she wanted to give Max. Chloe had intended to give Max her gift last night but after talking for so long and catching Max up on everything, Chloe was too drained, far too exhausted to get up out of bed and surprise her. Now that she was awake, Chloe wanted to give Max her gift. Max stood there in a slightly awkward silence, confused by Chloe's actions but since Chloe was busily searching in the mini bookcase on the far wall, Max stood still and waited for Chloe to turn back around and say something. When Chloe found what she was looking for, she held the item between her hands. Knowing what the gift would mean to Max and that it would be personal to her made Chloe happy but she still felt a sharp pain in her chest. The object in Chloe's hands, no matter if it stayed with her or Max accepted it and it went with Max, just thinking about it in general always made Chloe a little nostalgic, for better or for worse.

"I, er, know it was your birthday last month..."

Chloe began, standing up with her back to Max still. She stared off at nothing for moment, took a deep breath then let it go. Putting on a fake smile, Chloe turned around and went over to Max.

"This was my real father's camera."

Extending her arm, Chloe presented the gift to Max. Max reached up with both hands to receive it, instantly touched by the gesture. She knew how much Chloe adored her father. To be given William's camera was an honor and Max wanted the camera but she felt guilty taking it. Raising her eyes, she gazed at Chloe, torn between taking it or giving it back.

"That's so cool you remembered my birthday. But I can't take this."

Max tried to return the camera to Chloe but Chloe gently pushed it back into Max's hands.

"Of course you can. My dad would be pissed if I never used it. And now I know it will be used awesomely."

Looking around Max, Chloe saw the photo of them on the bed resting on top of Max's other camera. She went over to it, bent down and took the photo into her custody.

"And I'll snag this picture as a symbol of our reunion. Is that cool with you?"

Max grinned and Chloe grinned back. It was obvious Max was beaming over William's camera and seeing her eyes light up like that made Chloe's day.

"Yes, of course it's cool!"

Max stopped admiring her new gift so she could look up at Chloe.

"Thank you."

Max glanced back down at the camera and ran her fingers over the cool surface of the lens. Chloe couldn't help but grin again.

"This camera is so sweet."

Max got her camera bag out of the duffel bag, removed her old camera and tenderly placed William's camera inside of it. Content, Max casually strode over to the close and opened the door, curious to see what kind of other clothes Chloe had in there. So much about Chloe had changed, her fashion style being the most noticeable. Getting an idea of what she was doing, Chloe went over to stand in front of her. Feeling Chloe's eyes watching her, Max gave Chloe a quick smile then returned her attention to Rachel's clothes. Just looking at the clothes, told Max where Chloe's new style branched from.

"Tell me the truth Max, that day on the steps at Blackwell... did you recognize me at all?"

Max rubbed at her neck, recalling the event and how she felt when she saw Chloe for the first time.

"I wasn't sure."

Chloe crossed her arms and gave Max a sympathetic once over.

"I know I look a lot different."

"I was scared too. No offense, you looked like a drug dealer or like some member of a gang that would beat the piss out of me."

"I don't blame you Max. I do have that kind of effect on people."

Moving away from herself, Chloe pointed her thumb towards Rachel's clothes.

"You know, if you wanted to, you could cosplay me or Rachel for the day."

Max arched an eyebrow, a little hesitant to take Chloe up on the suggestion.

"Rachel left a bunch of her clothes with me."

Chloe shrugged.

"She's your size."

Chloe stated with firm confidence. Max glanced away from Chloe and fixated her gaze on the open closet.

"But not quite my style."

Chloe grinned and lazily observed Max's appearance as she placed one hand on her hip.

"Max, you don't have a style yet. At least give it a try."

As if knowing Max would disapprove of what she would look like, Chloe peered down at Max, demanding through her body language that Max acknowledge her fashion expertise.

"If you don't like it, I can always rewind and tell you about it and you can throw on those generic jeans and your name brand t-shirt."

"You suck. I like my shirt and jeans. But... it  _would_  be cool to try on Rachel's clothes, just to see if they fit."

Grinning, Chloe stepped closer, took hold of Max's shoulders and gave her a small shake.

"Stop second guessing yourself Max!"

Lowering her arms back down to her sides, Chloe flashed Max another charming smile. Max stood there and just watched and listened to Chloe go, content with how things were going between them. It was finally starting to feel like they were over their rough patch and back on the road together as besties. It was a wonderful feeling and Max didn't want their moment in Chloe's bedroom to end. That's how much she was enjoying herself.

"Put this on and let your inner punk-rock girl come out! You can afford to take chances. Whenever and whatever you want to try. For example..."

Trailing off, grin still plastered on her face, Chloe gently touched Max's arm, knowing it would grasp her attention in a special way. It usually did when Chloe wanted Max to notice her or something she was about to do.

"I dare you to kiss me. Like when we were younger."

Max lost her smile. She blinked and took a hesitant step back away from Chloe, not expecting Chloe to go there so quickly. Sure they had shared kisses in the past but all their kisses were playful and centered around a pure kind of affection. Where they jut made up, Max was nicely surprised that Chloe would give her that privilege so soon as she did.

"What? Here? Now?"

Chloe nodded.

"Yes, I double dare you here and now. My love for you as my friend is still very much real Max but being able to shower you in affection? I... missed that. Didn't you?"

Max's answer to Chloe's question, was her stepping in, placing one hand on her shoulder and the other on the side of her face. Easing up on the toes, Max gave Chloe a family peck on the mouth, the cheek, then on the forehead. Chloe's wolfish grin made Max grin too. Chloe was amused and genuinely seemed happy that Max kissed her.

"Wow, you're hardcore Max. Mouth, cheek and forehead? Are we making up for lost time?"

Max arched an eyebrow feeling the corners of her lips curl up. She stood there for a few seconds, arms still up and caved in but when she saw that Chloe wasn't going to return the gesture and just lounge on her bed like the idle person she was, Max dropped her arms and faced the open closet once again.

"You are such a dork."

Chloe shrugged a shoulder and continued to relax on the bed, satisfied with herself and the outcome of their playfulness.

_Oh man, that was priceless when I kissed Chloe. She didn't think I would. It's nice to do those things with her, because we keep it clean, simple and pure but it's a shame it will be misread by others if we do it in public. Then again... we're not kids anymore. We're adults and adults aren't supposed to do those... sorts of things with their best friends but whatever. Chloe isn't my lover, she's my best friend who understands the difference and that's awesome. And apparently, she and Rachel formed the same bond. I'm happy Rachel was able to find that with Chloe and Chloe with Rachel. It's no wonder she's tore to pieces about her missing like this. I would do the same thing I guess if someone that close and personal upt and disappeared out of my life..._

It didn't Max long to get changed out of her night clothes and into Rachel's. A few final touches here and there and she was ready to go. She turned around and showed off the red checker plaid t-shirt with the white logo tank top and black jeans to Chloe. Max resisted the urge to laugh when she saw how excited Chloe got when she saw her working Rachel's outfit.

"Lookn' sick Max. A couple tats, some piercings and we'll make a thrasher out of you yet."

Max sorely attempted to impress Chloe with some slang but it didn't get the reaction out of her she was hoping for.

"Ready for the mosh pit, shaka brah."

Chloe stared at Max for a solid three seconds then rolled onto her back.

"Mmm, maybe not. Go down and say hi to Joyce. Free breakfast!"

Max gave Chloe a questioning look, confused at the dismissal. Knowing what she was thinking, Chloe crossed her leg over the other, put her arms behind her head and was so cute about it, Max couldn't find it in herself to be upset, no matter what Chloe's reason was for not coming down stairs with her.

"I have to... er... wake n' bake first."

Max smiled gently, turned to go and waved her hand to the side in understanding.

"I promise not to tell."

Chloe's eyes fluttered shut against her will. Her head felt heavy and every movement she made, to every breath she took, seemed like she was fighting through cement to do it.

"Let's hope I don't have to rewind because you let the cat out of the bag, 'kay? Momma's still drained from last night and needs to recoup..."

Max stopped walking for the door hearing how slow and sluggish Chloe's voice sounded.

"Chloe?"

Max glanced over her shoulder at Chloe to see if she okay. Amazingly enough, Chloe had drifted back off to sleep. Frowning, Max walked back over to the bed to get a closer look at Chloe.

"Chloe?"

Max snapped her finger by Chloe's ear, creating a loud, crackle noise that should of done the trick. No response. Chloe was out cold. Chloe going back to sleep didn't jar Max. It was how quick and easy of a transition it was for her to do it that really disturbed her.

_**Good grief** Chloe. Does the time power take that much out of you?_

Max reached down with her hand and tenderly caressed Chloe's face.

_I guess so. She's going to have to be careful how much power she uses and how often. Otherwise, it may end bad for her._

Max fluffed Chloe's pillows so she would have better support, then she pulled the second comforter over Chloe's legs. Max turned on the stereo, but made sure to keep it at a medium level so Chloe could hear it but at the same time, not be bothered by it while she slept. With one last look of admiration towards her beloved dozing pirate, Max left Chloe's room and made sure to close the door extra softly behind her.

_Even superheros need days off. If she's not up by noon, I'm going to let her sleep. She's earned it._

Now in the hallway, Max got a strong whiff of the aroma from downstairs.

_Oh my God, that smells so amazing._

Glancing at the open bathroom door, Max went in for two reasons. She wanted to wash the remainder of sleep out of her eyes and freshen her breath. She turned on the faucet, let the water run a few seconds then splashed the warm water all around her face. Then she started to reach for toothbrush that she had brought with her but stopped herself mid way.

_Chloe never used to care when I borrowed her toothbrush._

Just because she could, Max did pick up Chloe's toothbrush and cleaned her teeth with it. She would sanitize it after she used it, like a good, considerate friend but she didn't plan on admitting to Chloe that she did use her toothbrush. Max rinsed her mouth out, cleaned Chloe's toothbrush, put it back and found herself staring at the hair dye Chloe used to color her hair with. Cupping her chin, Max hummed thoughtfully to herself, considering the hair dye sincerely.

_You know, I haven't gone through a "dyeing my hair blue" phase yet... maybe it's time._

Turning away from the sink, Max glanced up and saw a green towel with a skeleton that had a pirate hat on it and two bones that made a "X" at the bottom of it. Max smirked, recalling just how old the towel was. Looking over her should, Max caught her reflection in the mirror. Impressed with how sharp Rachel's clothes did look on her body, Max stepped up to the mirror to admire herself even more. She took out her new camera, struck a pose and took a quick selfie of herself.

 _Check out Mad Mad! Ready to thrash! I am_   ** _so_** _hardcore._

At that moment, Max's smartphone sent her notification. She reached in her pocket and pulled it out, wondering who was texting her so early in the morning. Her lips curled when she saw who the sender of the text was.

 

* * *

 **94%** [][][][]

 

 **Kate:** Max, I don't have Chloe's number but if you see her, can you tell her thank you from the bottom of my heart for me? She said you cared and... she was right. You're the only one who was there for me at school, the only one who truly cared. I have to believe you were sent to give me hope. Chloe too... she did so much more then get me off the roof. She gave me hope too, in a different kind of sense. My father is grateful as well. You two will always be in our prayers.

09/17 8:07 AM

 **Max:** Kate, I'm so glad you're okay. I don't know about Chloe, but I will visit you as soon as I can, promise.

09/17 8:07 AM 

* * *

 

Putting her smart phone back in her pocket, Max ventured down the hall and just so happened to see the neighborhood picture of Arcadia Bay on the wall. Squinting her eyes, Max studied the still life in the photo then compared it to what she understood about Chloe's vision made Max a little angry.

_Nobody in this town has a clue as to what's happening._

Max started to go for Joyce's bedroom but stopped herself from doing it for two reasons. A, she didn't want to be  _that_  nosy and B, David was still in there. Doing what? Max couldn't say, just knowing he was in there made Max cringe. With nothing more to do, Max ventured downstairs to find Joyce. As Max came down the steps, she could hear Joyce humming softly to herself in the kitchen. So focused was she on prepping the food on her cutting board, Joyce didn't notice Max come into the kitchen.

"Good morning Joyce."

Max softly greeted, smiling slightly.

Startled, Joyce turned around and caught glimpse of Rachel's clothes. Joyce was so used to them being on Rachel, she accidentally called Max the other girl's name.

"Rachel! Uh, I-I mean Max!"

Joyce exclaimed, delighted to see Max again. It had been years since she last saw her. Max was a little shorter and scrawnier as a kid. The young woman before Joyce now was fuller in frame with eyes that screamed experience. Experience of what, Joyce couldn't be sure. It didn't really matter to Joyce what Max had been through, the important thing was she was back in Arcadia Bay and living out her dreams. This made Joyce feel proud, where she did play a small part in raising Max with Vanessa and Ryan.

"Whew, you startled me. You fit those clothes well."

Max looked down at herself then glanced back up at Joyce. Smiling, Joyce placed a hand on her hip and lightly gestured at Max.

"Thank God you're not a roof raiser like her or Chloe. Now tell me exactly what you want to chow on."

If there was one weakness Max Caulfield had and would always have... it was bacon. Joyce knew this detail about Max, but she wanted to let Max make the call, just in case she decided to fight her natural craving and ask her to make something different.

"Eggs, and bacon all the way."

"Remember when you guys would sleep in until I yelled out, "Wakey, Wakey, eggs, and bakey!"?

Max smirked at the memory playing through her mind.

"Totally. We'd wake up so fast."

Joyce nodded in agreement but since Max was up and right in front other, she put the teen to work.

"I'm glad you're here. You can help me with the ingredients."

"Sure Joyce. Anything for you. What do I gotta do?"

Joyce pointed at the garage door in the living room.

"I need you to grab me the actual eggs and the bacon. You can find both in the spare fridge in the garage. I meant to bring them inside after I got home last night, but I was so tired, I just put them in there and went straight to bed."

Nodding, Max turned around and sauntered briskly out of the kitchen and into the living room. On the dinner table was a newspaper. The only reason Max went over to look at it is because on the front cover page was Chloe surrounded by news reporters, camera crews and some Blackwell security officers who were trying to keep the media at bay and away from Chloe. Kate was off to the side with a blanket around her and a police officer was helping her over to an ambulance. Chloe did  _not_  look happy to have so many microphones shoved up in her face. Her narrowed eyes gave away her annoyance and her frosty stare was cold and piercing.

_Oh man. I don't think Chloe wants to be remembered for this._

The chirping from a blue jay caught Joyce's attention, even all the way from the kitchen. She called to Max, asking her to help get the animal out of the house. Max tipped her head up and stared right into the eyes of the blue jay. Max had to stand on her toes and stretch her arm out to get within distance of the blue jay's face. The bird flew over to the fireplace and seemed to be waiting for Max to open the window beside the fireplace. She did, and it fluttered outside onto a a fence post by the square portrait Max and Chloe doodled on as kids. It chirped happily, grateful for Max's assistance. Max followed it, reached in her camera bag and took a quick photo of the blue jay. Max went back into the house, knowing she needed to get Joyce those ingredients if she wanted to eat. In the garage, Max went over to the spare refrigerator, cracked the door open and saw the ingredients Joyce needed on the middle shelf.

_I know I should evolve and become a vegan but..._

Max was sure she felt herself drool a little bit as her eyes roved over the package of thick-cut strips of red meat.

 _Ugh,_   ** _bacon._**

Of all the things to distract Max from her destiny to have breakfast, the drawer to the workbench on the far side of the wall near the garage door, was open. Not a lot, but enough that it was noticeable. Stepping back, Max let go of the handle to the spare refrigerator and thought she would be considerate and close the drawer. Being the curious girl that she was, Max took a peek inside of the drawer and saw two photos of David. Max glanced over her shoulder and surveyed her surroundings with great interest.

_Hmm. David's not here, Joyce is in the kitchen and Chloe's asleep. I could get a head start on our case for Rachel if I wanted to. David's garage is the perfect place to do that. But where should I start?_

Going over to the other workbench, Max leaned over and opened a cabinet on whim. If she was going to search the garage for documents or clues in general, Max assumed she'd find some in the cabinets. What she found, was a medium boxed sized TV. Glancing to the left, she saw a map of Blackwell taped to the cabinet door. It had red circles on it in varies places and notes on the side columns.

_Wowser. A map of Blackwell Academy. I wonder why?_

Max's eyes trailed back onto the TV.

_Should I switch this on? Decisions, decisions..._

Shrugging, Max reached out and pressed the button. What she saw, made her eyebrows raise and her mouth drop open.

_What the? Chloe's stepdad actually installed cameras in the rooms? For reals? This guy has serious trust issues! Do Chloe and Joyce even know about this?_

Disturbed, Max turned the TV off, closed the cabinet door and continued her search for clues. The laptop that was ever so conveniently out in the open was just begging to be raided. Smiling, Max inched closer, already anxious to see what she could dig up on it.

_This must belong to Chloe's stepdad. I do need to get into David's computer. He's gotta be hiding something. I bet David has all of his surveillance secrets in his laptop._

Max tapped the touch pad with her finger and naturally, an auto log-in box appeared on the screen.

 _No password._   _No dip it needs a password. How about "stepdouche"?_

Max entered the phrase and as expected, that wasn't the right password.

_Try again. Great._

Since she was already by the cabinets, Max eased up on her toes and open the cabinet door beside the laptop. It was empty. Max closed it and glanced down at the workbench. There were drawers, and plenty to snoop through. She opened one of them and found three items of semi-importance. The fist was a photo of Joyce and David on their wedding day. The second, was a card of Chloe's 18th birthday. The last was a postcard of Arcadia Bay with Two Whales Diner as the main attraction.

_Maybe I could try "StepDad" for the password?_

Max returned to the area where the cabinet had the TV. She found a padlock on the work bench directly of that cabinet. She reached down and flipped it over, carefully examining it.

_Naturally David would buy a heavy duty military padlock. I can even see the combination. That might be a useful password._

Recalling David's Blackwell ID card she had found earlier, Max went back to the other workbench on the opposite side of the wall, pulled the drawer open and scanned over the ID card, taking note of the numbers and the date.

_Hmm, maybe this ID number might work?_

Looking left of her, Max explored the drawer beside the one she just closed and found David's handgun license card.

_I could also try the license number for the password._

There were several more spots Max inspected. Entering the second half of the garage, she looked at an audio tape from David's parents, a deer head trophy, a just married template, a note in a bag and a knife on the ground near the car's left rear wheel. Max had a plenty of hints for a password but something wouldn't let her leave the second half of the garage without poking around in David's card first. Max poked her head in through the window and carefully moved the visor back. She found a receipt from the Two Whales Diner with a note on the back of it.

_Joyce might as well have wrote, "Let's get married". That might be a useful password._

Done searching for clues, Max returned to the laptop and decided to use three password. The date on the receipt, was the correct answer and the one she used as a first choice.

_Score. Max The Hacker strikes again!_

Max was smiling, pleased with herself but quickly lost it seeing which profile was already up on David's screen.

_Whoa, spoiler alert! Rachel **definitely** hooked up with Frank... but why does David care?_

Max frowned, clicked the left button on the touch pad and pressed on with her investigation. Her shock turned into disgust when the next profile appeared in front of Rachel's.

_Instead of stalking Kate, David could've helped her._

The final profile Max found was of herself. Knowing that David had information on her friends, Rachel and of herself, infuriated Max as much as it puzzled her.

_This is so wrong._

Max backed away from the laptop, feeling her hands ball up into tight fists.

_I better tell Chloe about this at some point today. Maybe at lunch? Well, whenever I do it, I just need to do it. This is just one more thing to make her sad. And mad._

Max centered herself, got the ingredients she needed out of the spare refrigerator, went back into the house and handed the items over to Joyce. She would keep what she discovered to herself for the moment. Max was tempted to let Joyce in on what she found, but not until she had a chance to run the information over with Chloe. Although waiting for the food was torture, it was worth it when Joyce emerged from the kitchen 15 minutes later and placed the steaming plate down on the table in front of Max.

"Thank you so much, Joyce. I'm never leaving this table."

Joyce grinned.

"Good. You can clean."

Joyce left Max alone temporarily. She wanted to show Max something precious. A photo album of the family. If anyone would appreciate pictures with good quality, it would be Max. Max wolfed down her breakfast fairly quickly while Joyce was digging through the books for the photo album. Seeing it finally, Joyce pulled the photo album off the bookshelf, went back over to the table, and sat down across from Max. She opened the photo album and instantly grasped Max's attention.

"Seeing you again."

Joyce sighed then glanced down at the photo album.

"Made me remember so much. I know these photos don't measure up to your work, Max."

Joyce timidly began but Max didn't let Joyce think so lowly of herself. Leaning in, she lowered her gaze in motion with Joyce and together, they browsed through the array of photos of the Price household.

"My favorite photographers probably take pictures similar to yours. You make David happy Joyce."

Joyce appreciated the compliment, despite knowing how Max viewed her husband.

"He wants us all to be happy, Max. He's just not great at showing it."

Joyce turned the page that happened to have Rachel striking a pose by herself, without Chloe. Max saw the confidence in her posture, the alluring gesture she made with her eyes and her intimidating bravado that seemed to jump off the page. Max felt very inferior and found herself jealous of Rachel.

"Uhh, I don't think I can rock this outfit like Rachel."

Joyce heard the hesitation in Max's voice and glanced up at her briefly before looking back down at Rachel's photo.

"You have your own cool style."

Joyce turned the page again and a photo of when Max and Chloe were younger caught her eye.

"Wowser."

She whispered.

"I totally remember that day."

"I'm glad. William took this picture with his instant camera. It was the last picture he ever took. He had his car out right after this and... and..."

Joyce trailed off and shook her head to clear it and was unable to finish what she wanted to say.

"I know Joyce."

Max lowered her gaze just slightly. She could feel and hear Joyce's heart breaking and it made Max's own heart cry out in compassion for Joyce.

"I know, Joyce."

Max offered, knowing all too well why Joyce was getting emotional.

"I'm sorry."

Joyce took out the photo of Max and Chloe together. She raised her eyes and looked at Max with a soft determination.

"I didn't show you these to be morbid. In fact-"

Joyce gently handed the photo of their youth over to Max.

"I want you to have this."

Honored to receive the priceless photo, Max held it between her hands, admiring it for what it was.

"This was when my baby was so full of life and light. She was hopeful, positive... everything's she not today. You know Max, this was the last time I ever saw Chloe  _truly_  happy."

Hearing Joyce say such a bitter truth hurt Max raised her eyes to meet Joyce's and both women shared a look of mutual understanding. At that moment, Chloe groggily made her way down the stairs and into the living room. She saw her mother and Max gazing at each other in silence and letting their eyes communicate what they were feeling. As she came into view, Chloe assumed they were talking about her and called them out on it.

"Are guys have a bonding session about how screwed up I am?"

Chloe asked, managing to grin through the discomfort she was still feeling. Even after getting a small high and splashing her face with water, Chloe couldn't seem to shake the drowsiness she felt or the tension in her muscles.

Joyce frowned at the crude language Chloe used, put off by it. She and Max assessed Chloe's ruffled appearance. She smelled nice, her hat was off, exposing her beautiful dyed hair and she was wearing her usual deviant outfit. Tank top with a heart organ on the middle of it, trademark patch jeans, black leather boots and her punk accessories.

"It's not always about you."

Max argued, but didn't deny that she and Joyce had been talking about Chloe. Chloe did note that but didn't bother rubbing it in. She was trying to be civil. One of the hardest things she had to do in the morning. Before William's death, Chloe was fine, an angel in the morning. Now, five years later, she's quite frustrating to talk to, especially if she came downstairs hung over or wasn't taking her medicine.

"Chloe, please?"

Joyce politely interjected, holding her daughter's stare.

"It's too early to start picking a fight. Eat instead."

Chloe started to say something but stopped feeling another nose bleed coming on.

"Crap!"

Her sudden outburst startled the other women. When they saw the blood run rapidly from Chloe's nose, they stood up in alarm.

"Chloe, are you all right?"

Joyce went up to Chloe and touched the side of her face, instantly worried. Chloe jerked her head away from Joyce's hand and turned towards the bathroom.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna use the bathroom. Be right back."

Joyce wasn't buying it. Chloe was not all right. Nose bleeds happen and Joyce wasn't going to get bent out of shape over seeing Chloe have one, but the intensity of the bleeding and how fast it poured out of Chloe's nostril, was a little jarring. Even by Joyce's standards.

"Now don't be like that. Let me help you for once?"

Pressing the brunt of her palm under the right nostril where the blood always seem to flow form, Chloe shot Joyce a dirty look.

"Stop being nosey mother."

"Chloe, maybe you should let Joyce help you? You had a nose bleed during the night while you were sleeping too. I cleaned it up before it got everywhere and wasn't planning on saying anything but for it to happen again makes me kinda nervous for you."

Insulted that Max was siding with her mother made Chloe more irritable. She faced them, gravely annoyed that they were still trying to walk over to her. Raising her free hand, she waved it sharply to the side, dismissing the both the both of them.

"I can't do anything around here without everybody getting up in my face!"

Joyce and Max froze. Chloe's bitter remark made them want to cringe but instead, they exchanged a quick look of mastery. Getting the vibe Joyce wanted Max to stay out of it, Max retreated back to her seat at the dinner table while Joyce remained standing. Crossing her arms, Joyce took a defensive stance and gave Chloe the once over.

"No one can even worry over you, Chloe, you fly off the handle like that."

Since Chloe was headed for the bathroom downstairs, Max settled for using the one upstairs. She didn't mean to get up in the middle of the argument and abandon Joyce but she really did have to go. Escaping the cross fire, was merely a bonus.

"Excuse me, I have to use the bathroom."

Minding her nose bleed, Chloe watched Max get up from the table and leave, not surprised Max was cowering away.

"Sure, run off and pee when you should back me up. Oh, wait that's right, you actually agree with mom so never mind."

Keeping a calm profile, Max arched an eyebrow at Chloe, as if to say, "You're overreacting again." but didn't feel like getting into it with Chloe, so she just stopped staring over her shoulder at her, gently waved good-bye, casually looked forward and continued to journey down the hallway. Joyce dramatically threw her arms up as she made her way back into the kitchen.

"Just  _listen_  to yourself!"

Chloe resumed her walk towards the hallway bathroom.

"Nobody else does!"

Chloe barked, slamming the bathroom door behind her. Dulling out their argument, Max rounded the corner and climbed the steps. She passed David, dressed in his uniform and their shoulders brushed and they both tensed at the brief contact. Unable to resist the challenge, David reached the bottom of the stairs, turned around and stared hard at Max, forcing her to acknowledge him. Frowning, Max put her hand on the rail and rested against it, already dreading their conversation.

"Mmm, figures you'd be here."

He grumbled, already off to such a great start. Unimpressed, Max glowered at David, no longer afraid of him. After the files she found in his garage, why should she be? Just thinking about those files made Max's blood boil.

"Is that your Rachel Amber Halloween costume?"

Getting a mean look on her face, Max shrugged and made sure to keep her voice low and controlled so no one else could hear them.

"You tell me David. You seem to know all about her."

Already having a strong idea as to what Max was referring to, put David on edge. He didn't like people going through his files. Chloe had already found them and helped herself to them. That's why he changed the password on his laptop. How Max figured out what the password was, threw David off but he couldn't pretend that he didn't know what Max was hinting. It would make him look sketchy, pathetic and desperate. He couldn't handle that, so he countered her with some gusto of his own.

"No, you and Chloe think you know more than anybody. Like all teenagers."

"You gonna threaten me with surveillance cameras so you can spy on me some more? Like you spy on my soulmate and anyone else who lives here?"

Max huffed, letting go of the rail. David's eyes narrowed and for a split second, Max wondered if she might have revealed too much of what she knew.

"Don't start Max. Not now. You don't understand anything, you don't understand why I'm doing what I'm doing. This is my home, I can do whatever I want, and what I feel is needed to keep my family safe."

Max really had to go to the bathroom. She forced herself to hold it in, so she could go back down the steps to stand by David. Stupid? Probably. But in some respects, it showed that Max wasn't afraid of David anymore.

"Yeah? Let me guess. Is it because Chloe's always causing trouble for you? You and I both know Joyce is a saint, she hasn't done anything to get put under surveillance, so that only leaves Chloe. Why David? Why are you such a jerk?"

David knew Max wasn't his child, yet he raised his hand at her and came very close to smacking Max across her face. He didn't because he was smart enough to know if he struck someone outside of his house, it would look bad for him and create trouble for Joyce. And he certainly couldn't have that.

"Not now Max."

He repeated himself, putting some extra edge in his voice.

"You're a  _bully_  David. I saw you harass Kate Marsh when she was going through  _hell_."

David jutted his lower lip out and his bushy eyebrows knitted together, creating a crease in the middle of his forehead. Since drilling him was proving to be effective, Max went a little deeper, almost curious to see if he could find a good excuse to give her.

"You could have totally helped her. Between your investigations into Rachel and Kate, what have done besides get in trouble?"

Max did a bold move and flicked the back of her fingers against David's chest.

"Everybody at Blackwell is a suspect to you, except for Nathan Prescott. I've seen the way you and him talk on the campus when you think no one is looking. Not to mention that creepy profile you have on him and the faxed notes from Principal Wells about Nathan's behavior pattern. Why is Nathan so important to you anyway that you have  _those_  kinds of files on your computer?"

David tried looking away but Max got stepped in, forcing him to look back around and down into her fiery blue eyes.

"See, this is why the students and faculty don't like you. I  _do_ respect your service, but  _you_   _don't_ respect anybody."

At that remark, David pointed at the air in place of Max's shoulder.

"Chloe was doing drugs. That's illegal."

Max's face flushed from anger and she felt herself starting to lose control of her temper. For the sake of keeping their talk on the down low, Max made sure to keep the volume in her voice at a low octave.

"So is spying on people in your family and at your work. Just why exactly do you have photos of Kate Marsh and Rachel Amber in your files anyway?"

David shook his head firmly from side to side, refusing to comment. That only made Max feel justified for hating him. Done talking, David went his way and Max went hers. David wasn't sure if letting Max leave without a strong warning to keep her mouth shut was wise, but he couldn't risk making a scene in front of his family. But hopefully, Max would remain quiet and kept what information she knew to herself and told no one.

_First Chloe. Now Max. I am losing my touch at covering my tracks. I need to be more careful... I can't risk letting my work get pissed away over moody hormonal teenagers who don't even know the half of what is really going on at Blackwell._

Max went to the bathroom and when she came out, Chloe was waiting for her outside the bathroom door. Her signature jacket and hoodie were on, and she looked eager to leave the house. Max had a strong hunch that reason, was none other than David. Nodding quietly in understanding, Max gathered up her things and let Chloe drive her to school. On the ride to Blackwell, Max decided to spill and let Chloe in on everything that she discovered in the garage, including the spy cameras. The news didn't make Chloe's foul mood better, but it did answer something she already suspected.

"Listen, when I went through David's laptop, I found pictures of Rachel and Frank..."

Max feebly admitted, rubbing her neck nervously.

"Being more than just 'friends'."

Chloe rolled her eyes, unconvinced that Rachel would take Frank  _that_ seriously.

"Right. No way Max. She was just posing to tease Frank."

Max turned to Chloe and patted the seat to emphasize her point.

"If you're not going to believe me, why don't we check out what Frank has in his RV when we meet up this afternoon for lunch at Two Whales?"

Chloe gripped the steering wheel without realizing it. The thought of Rachel posing for Frank outside of fun was not something Chloe wanted to believe. Not in a million years.

"What's that gonna prove?"

She asked, keeping her narrowed eyes on the road.

"Well for starters, you told me last night that you saw Frank wearing Rachel's bracelet for the first time at The Old Mill when you let him in on about your power. What else does he have of Rachel's?"

"He  _better_  not have anything else. For his sake."

Max left things at that, not wanting to push Chloe to the truth. It was better to let Chloe see the truth, in her own way, on her own terms.

"I'll see you later."

Max scooted closer to Chloe, tugged on her shoulder and kissed her cheek. Max did this in hopes to leave Chloe with something positive to think about other than Rachel, Frank and what she had told her about David. It worked. Chloe turned her head to look at Max and she smile faintly while arching amused eyebrows.

"Whoa Max. We share a kiss in my bedroom and now you can't keep your hands off me?"

Max slapped Chloe's shoulder playfully.

"Dork. You know our affection is-"

"Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I know what it mean and that makes it all the more awesome for us. I just find it funny that you're showing it to me first. Usually, you shy away and gotta build up to it."

Max grinned then reached in behind her to open the door.

"I would  _love_ to see Rachel trump it."

Chloe scoffed lightly then reached over to give Max's hair a good ruffling.

"Shut up and get outta here. I'll meet you at Two Whales this afternoon and we'll see about Frank's RV and furthering our little Murder She Wrote series."

With one final smile to Chloe, Max exited the truck and went about her way. It was so early in the morning and she was already giddy with excitement to go explore with Chloe. It was scary and stupid but also fun. It made Max feel like they were kids without a care in a world.

 

* * *

 

By the time Max finished her morning classes and hopped on the Blackwell transportation bus to meet Chloe at the Two Whales Diner, Chloe had already taken it upon herself to get Frank's RV keys and was waiting at the bus stop for Max. She had to rewind a few times to get him to put what was in his pockets on the table, but when he finally did it, she took the keys and quickly rewound before he could process what Chloe had done. Chloe would of waited for Max but time was everything. She wanted answers and wanted them as soon as possible. Chloe also found a thick juicy bone in the garbage can for Frank's dog, Pompidou. What a name. Chloe still wasn't sure if Frank named the mutt that because he thought it would create the element of surprise or if it was because he was high as kite when he did it. Either way, Pompidou was going to be a problem if Chloe didn't find a way to distract him. The bone was the perfect bait. Max was going to help her too, she just didn't know it yet.

"How did you manage to get those off Frank?"

Max asked, pushing against Chloe's shoulder with her hand. Chloe motioned for Max to follow her as she walked towards Frank's RV.

"I'm just that good. That and rewind power  _really_  pays off when I screw up with answers. So, how was class? Oh, here. You'll need this Max."

Max took the bone out of Chloe's hand then stood off to the side so Chloe had some space.

"Boring as usual and what's this for?"

Max inquired while patiently waiting for Chloe to unlock the door.

"For Frank's dog."

Chloe readied herself and Max did the same, keeping a steady eye Chloe's hands and the door latch.

"On your mark. Get set..."

Chloe jerked the door open and Pompidou burst out, baring his fangs in a threatening manner.

"Throw!"

Max didn't have a lot of time to be indecisive. She didn't want Frank's dogs close to them but she also didn't want Pompidou in harm's way. Max settled for tossing the bone near the garbage cans, near some few cars and felt like she did good for herself and the dog.

"Get the treat, treat boy!" With the animal gone, Max inched closer to Chloe but gave Pompidou one last look, just to make sure he was safe.

"Now we can snoop in peace. But let's not waste time."

Max opened the door for Chloe, letting her enter Frank's RV first. The two friends shared the same looks of disgust as they walked around the small, smelly space that Frank called his "home".

"Wow. And I thought my room was a pigsty."

Max whirled around, facing Chloe who was up front and getting ready to sit down in the driver's seat.

"You're not a creepy drug dealer."

Max pointed out, slanted eyes wandering all over the filth that seemed to increase with each step she took.

"Frank has issues, but he's not creepy."

Chloe paused, remembering what Frank was wearing that night when she went to The Old Mill. Had she not been so overwhelmed and stressing out over her power, she  _just_  might have exploded on him for having Rachel's bracelet.

"At least I didn't so until I saw him with Rachel's bracelet."

Chloe gripped the bottom on the large steering wheel and turned it a few times, visualizing what all she could do with it if she had the change to actually drive it off somewhere.

"Oh, we could cruise everywhere in this bad boy."

Chloe excitedly glanced over her shoulder at Max, wanting her to get hyped up with her.

"Can you see us heading down the coast to Big Sur and beyond?"

Max twisted her body, putting herself in the direction she waned to go. She continued to hold Chloe's gaze, despite that she wanted to get a move on.

"Yes, we'd be tearing up the highway."

Max smirked as she placed a hand on her hip.

"And you'd probably want me to kiss you again."

Max lost her smile when she saw Chloe still playing with the steering wheel and not getting up out of the chair.

"Chloe, we're on a schedule. We need to look for clues about Rachel."

Sad that her fun had come to and end, Chloe stole a quick glance at Max then looked forward again.

"I know. Just... daydreaming."

Chloe walked past Max, her gaze falling onto Frank's computer.

"You scope the area while I hack his computer for info."

Nodding, Max did a quick sweep of the living room, already dreading the idea of having to touch and go through Frank's things.

_Frank is almost a made-for-TV hoarder. This place is nasty._

Looking up, Max lifted up the door to a cabinet.

_Zip. Nada. Nothing._

Chloe was browsing through Frank's pictures, saw one of Frank and a dog he rescued. Just to mess with Max, Chloe blew the picture out of context, highly suggesting that Frank was being awkward with the animal.

"Whoa, what is he doing with that dog?"

Max was in the middle of walking to Frank's bedroom, but stopped hearing such a suggestive comment.

"Stop it."

Max half chuckled, half chided. Just so Chloe knew she wasn't really upset at her, Max flashed Chloe a playful smile.

_Chloe isn't scared, she's loving this._

Max continued her search. She was thorough in Frank's room, feeling like there was defiantly something of importance, laying out in he open or hidden. After several minutes of looking, Max came across two vents. One by the bed and other by the door frame.

_I could pry these vents open with the right tool._

Remember that she had seen a knife in the pizza box in the living room, Max went back out to retrieve it. She used the knife to pry open the vent. It was pretty easy, with enough applied pressure and little determination. The vent by the bed had nothing to offer, but the second one did have something inside of it. Kneeling down, Max took the book and opened it up. What she found, was not something she knew Chloe would like.

_Oh man, Rachel and Frank's dog._

Max turned the page and discovered a letter from Rachel to Frank. She cringed as she read it.

_I don't know if I should be touched or disturbed._

Max moved on to the next picture.

_I'm glad Rachel got to drive this beast. She looks genuinely happy._

Max eyes widened when she came across a picture of Frank holding Rachel in a loving embrace.

_Rachel really **did**   hang out with Frank._

Just when Max thought she couldn't be any more fitful, she turned the page and found a picture of Rachel posing in nothing but her very revealing underwear.

_I'm learning more about Rachel than I want to know..._

There was only one more page left in the journal. It was a note from Rachel, addressed to Frank. She and Frank were having a disagreement over something, but Rachel never went into detail over what it was.

_Hmm, trouble in paradise. Doesn't look good for Frank by the sounds of this._

With a heavy heart, Max stood up, went back into the living room and cautiously presented the journal to Chloe. Chloe glanced down at the journal, saw the photos and scanned the letters and notes. Utterly disgusted, Chloe sat back and stared off at nothing.

"It makes me  _ill_  that Rachel posed like this for Frank. Or wrote him love letters."

Chloe's eyes traveled over to Max's caring face. Max didn't know what else to do, so she just stood there and let Chloe rant to her.

"I can't believe she was banging Frank! Rachel straight up lied to my face! Why didn't she say anything?!"

Max didn't know Rachel personally but she felt the need to defend her honor, as messed up as it sounded. Max wanted Chloe to weigh Rachel's side of the story, look at what she did in context but instead, Chloe was allowing her anger to get in the way and cloud her thinking.

"Because she knew how you would react."

Max gently remarked, already feeling her chest swell over seeing Chloe so tore up on and the brink of an emotional break down.

"Then she wasn't much of a friend, huh? Just another person who walks all over me."

Max stepped closer to the table but Chloe ignored Max's presence and glanced away from her deliberately.

"Why does everybody in my life let me down?"

Max opened her mouth, intending to provide some moral support but was cut off by Chloe's harsh accusations.

"My  _dad_  gets killed,  _you_  bail on me for years..."

It was the way Chloe said it that rubbed Max wrong. She blinked hard, took a defined step away from Chloe and arched her neck back in shock. Now Max was upset, but mainly because Chloe made it seem as if all was forgiven and now she was going back to the same old fable and using it as a way to guilt trip her. Max narrowed her eyes and continued to listen to Chloe, but she had no intention of allowing Chloe to walk over her and slander her for something Rachel did.

"My  _mom_  gloms onto step-loser and now  _Rachel_  betrays me."

Max leaned in and firmly gestured between the two of them.

"Chloe, Rachel is  _missing_. Nobody betrayed you."

Still slightly hunched over, Max peered closer to see if Chloe was listening. Chloe was listening but she didn't want to admit that Max was correct in her assessment. Whipping her head around, Chloe lashed out at Max, needing someone to blame, someone to attack to make herself feel better.

"Bull crap! Who hasn't?! Screw everybody!"

Chloe jerked out of the seat and roughly brushed past Max, not caring if she hurt her feelings or not.

"Chloe!"

Max called after her, hating how everything was nicely falling apart. They hadn't even gotten lunch yet. Too late now. Chloe was out the door and storming away from Frank's RV. Blinded by her rage, Chloe hurled Frank's keys on top of the building then took off for the truck. Max was convinced Chloe would of drove off had she not booked it and gotten in the truck when she did. Chloe didn't waste anymore time. She violently backed out into the street, almost caused a wreck and just like that, she hit the gas pedal and zoomed down the road. Tears formed and spilled from the corner of her eyes and Chloe was sure Max saw them but at the moment, she didn't care. All she wanted to do, was drop Max off at school, head back to the house and get wasted. Turning her head, Max stared at Chloe, wanting to confront her and get what she was feeling out into the open.

"Chloe, you can't keep blaming me and everybody for everything wrong in your life. It's so not fair."

"I gotta blame somebody. Otherwise it's all my fault. Screw that."

"Grow up! God, you're not the only one in Arcadia Bay with problems! Kate Marsh almost-"

That was the wrong thing to say. What little room Chloe had to listen to Max just got thrown out the window.

"Yes, Kate Marsh almost killed herself. So sad. That doesn't make me feel any better about my mucked up life, get it?"

Chloe demanded, gripping the steering wheel harder as a way to channel her rising frustration at their situation. Better the object then Max's neck.

"So who do you blame most?"

"My dad of course... hello?!"

Max leaned over and did a double take. Now that was something she didn't see coming.

"You blame  _William?_  Really?"

More tears ran down Chloe's face. Pressing her lips firmly together, Chloe nodded once then answered Max's question. Her voice was breaking, Max could tell. As much as she wanted to reach over and hug Chloe, Max resisted. It wasn't a good time and Chloe was being a jerk. Not exactly the best motivation for a hug.

"Yes. He chose to go out that door and leave me forever."

Looking forward, Max's face dropped and she knew, as painful as it was going to be for both of them, that she had to open a old scar that Chloe had done a crappy job at sealing.

"Chloe, your dad didn't chose to... 'leave' you."

Chloe spared Max a brief glance then snapped her eyes right back onto the road.

"I know that, Max. My mom actually blames herself... just because she wanted a ride home from work. Sometimes, even I blame her."

"No you don't."

Max quietly, insisted but Chloe overruled her with a bitter counter of her own.

"Yes Max,  _I do_. Do you know what it's like to wait for your father to come home when you're a kid? And he never does?"

Max grimaced. How was she supposed to combat that? She couldn't and Chloe knew she couldn't. Rubbing at her arm, Max feebly admitted,

"No, of course not. But I was with you that day. It was just a terrible accident!"

Chloe squared her shoulders, feeling her neck and jawline muscles tense instantly.

"I wish that made me feel better. But ever since he died, my life has been a complete, total disaster."

Max swallowed a hard lump in her throat and was very careful on how she answered that statement.

"I can tell... but look at everything that's happened in the past week. Your life has changed mine and that's not pointless."

"I'd _really_  love to believe that. I'd like to believe in  _something_  after what's happened."

Shaking her head, Max honestly confessed her insecurities to Chloe, even if Chloe was shutting down and rejecting everything she had to say.

"Chloe, I can't  _do this_ out on my own. I  _need you_ with me. And  _Rachel_ needs you."

That was the last thing Max said and the last bit of communication the two shared for the rest of the ride to Blackwell. When Max safely arrived at her destination, Chloe turned away from her, resuming to even say goodbye to Max. Max gave Chloe a sad, defeated look but in the end, they said nothing and Chloe continued to glare off in the opposite direction. Before Max left her, she reached in her camera bag and took out the photo of them together on the day of William's death. Max wouldn't know if Chloe would look at it later and find comfort or just be reminded of why she hates her life so much, but the goal was to cheer her up. She laid the photo in the middle of the seat, got out of the truck and stood on the curve, watching Chloe speed off down the road until she was nothing but a tiny black speck in the distance. Chloe drove herself home in a stiff silence. Even when she was nestled in the comfort of her room, drinking herself into a stupor, Chloe didn't feel any better. She did, however, take the photo Max with here, inside and to her bedroom. She sat on the end of the mattress, hunched over, beer bottle in one hand, the childhood picture in the other. Chloe knew she had done wrong to Max and would have to apologize to her later for being such a ass.

_Why do I keep shoving her away? Why I do I keep doing this crap to myself?_

No sooner as Chloe thought these muddled thoughts, the photo in her hand flashed weirdly before her eyes, almost as if it was coming alive. Not only that, Chloe heard voices too. Hers and Max's to be exact. It spooked Chloe so bad, she dropped her beer bottle and the picture. The beer landed on the floor and rolled off to the side, leaving a trail of beer as it did so. Chloe paid it no attention. The photo on he floor in front of her had her undivided attention.

_What is happening now? More time power or something?_

Chloe slowly and very hesitantly, doubled over to pick up the photo. It flashed again, this time more wild and intense then the first time. Frowning slightly, Chloe worked through the effects of her the booze and did her best to keep the photo steady in her hands. She hiccuped, then groaned, hating that she was that drunk when something that spectacular was unraveling before her. Shaking her head to clear it, Chloe squinting her eyes and focused hard on the voices she heard, more so over the image itself. At that precise moment, another voice sounded through Chloe's mind. Hearing it brought fresh tears to her gradually widening eyes.

_Wait... I know that voice... d... dad?_

 

* * *

  **Arcadia Bay - 2008**

* * *

 

The intoxicating high Chloe had been feeling was suddenly gone. In fact, she felt... great. Light, free of stress, just wonderful. When the blinding light faded, she saw her father standing there, lowering his camera and grinning at her and Max.

"I hope the flash didn't scare you Max. This is a keeper."

Max beamed up at William.

"Oh no. It was fine. Can I see it?"

William nodded.

"Sure."

Max started to peek at the photo but stopped herself, recalling Chloe and William's special bonding over his pictures.

"But maybe we should let Chloe see it first? You know the rules you two have. I wouldn't want to ruin a family tradition."

Chloe stood still where she was at and stared at Max and her father, completely dumbfounded at what was happening.

_Dad? Max?_

Chloe caught her breath, struggling to understand two very important factors. Did she rewind time again? If that was true, how did she do that when she was staring at a photo? And if that was the case, was she truly that far back in time? How was supposed to get back to the present day time? Chloe didn't know. She was freaking out and it must of showed on her face because William and Max's lost their smiles and gave Chloe such a weird look.

"Whoa, hey. You look totally pale. Are you okay?"

Max asked, giving Chloe a careful once over. For the moment, Chloe was convinced she was awake, no longer drunk as a 19 year old, but a innocent, happy go lucky 14 year old, whose father was alive and best friend, was still in Arcadia Bay and not in Seattle.

"Yeah I just..."

Chloe glanced down at the tiled floor and stared at it for several seconds then looked back up at her father and Max.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine."

"Okay Chloe. Give me the thumbs up or thumbs down."

Arching an cautious eyebrow, Chloe gave her father a silent thumbs up but made no move to elaborate on why. She needed some time to collect her scattered thoughts and figure out what she could say or do to help her awkward situation.

_Now what is this? Dad is here. And Max is just a kid. Am I really that far back in time?_

Chloe looked down at herself, eyebrows furrowing madly.

_I'm 19 years old inside my 14 year old body. How?_

Chloe lowered her arms and slowly raised her head. Her breathing was much calmer but she was still a little disoriented at what was going on.

_Ahh, forget how it's all working._

Her father was cooking pancakes with Max by the stove. They were chatting softly with each other and seemed excited to be near each other.

_I loved dad and Max loved him like her own father. I won't let him die today. I won't. I'll save him and while I'm at it..._

Chloe turned her head just slightly and set her adamant gaze on on Max.

_I'm gonna get my best friend to stay with me too. One way or another, Max **will**  stay in Arcadia Bay. She'll be with me... forever._


	6. Episode 6: Jokes On You (W)

**Arcadia Bay - 2008**

* * *

 

Chloe went in behind Max, picked up the camera and used it as way to distract her father and Max. She needed them to stop worrying about her and return their focus back to cooking.

"Say cheese guys!"

Chloe sounded and acted so optimistic. But it was just a mask she used to lighten the mood and keep it fresh. Max hugged William close and William put his arm around Max's shoulder. They posed nicely, Chloe took the shot, gave it a thumbs up then quickly set the camera and the picture down on the counter near the microwave.

"Hey Chloe, do you want to play some games?"

Max asked, walking up to her. Out of habit, Max reached out and gathered Chloe's hands into her own and swung them around in a circle. Frowning harshly, Chloe broke the swinging, jerked her hands free and quickly gestured at Max to stop touching her.

"No! I don't wanna play a game with you right now Max. Leave me alone. I'm thinking..."

Max blinked, puzzled by her friend's reaction. Realizing what she had done, Chloe winced deeply seeing the hurt in Max's eyes.

"I'm sorry."

She muttered running a hand through her long hair.

"I guess I didn't get a good night’s sleep?"

Max blinked, more confused now.

"What? You slept like a baby. Your dad had to wake you up and everything. You were fine a moment ago."

Chloe rolled her head and eyes, huffed nosily and decided to just start over. She was throwing Max for a loop and even though she could try to be clever and find another cheesy answer to give her, Chloe simply didn't want to put forth the energy.

_Whoops. Lemme try that again._

She rewound time, mentally kicking herself for behaving that way towards Max. The poor thing didn't know what was going on and Chloe was smart and wise enough to keep Max in the dark. Future Max was one thing, this was the past Max and Chloe wasn't sure if talking about time power and events in their future was a good idea. She was 14, not 19. Aggressive remarks, jerkish movements, walking around like she was on a mission, was not going to work in this area of time. Chloe already knew that but easily forgot with so much information running through her mind. When time resumed, Chloe retook the picture but made sure to get up and do one very important thing. She unplugged the phone jack, thinking if she did this, it would prevent her mother's call and she would spare her father from getting killed. This plan would have worked but Chloe forgot that her parents also used cell phones. The ring tone sounded off in William's pocket and naturally, he looked down at it, wondering why Joyce was calling his cell when they had a perfectly good LAN line.

"Huh. That's weird."

William opened the flap to his cell phone and cheerfully answered,

"Hey honey. Hmm? What's that? No, I don't know why the house phone didn't pick up..."

Max continued to stir the pancake batter while William idly walked around during his call. Chloe bit in the inside of her cheek and physically felt herself break into a cold sweat. If she was going to save her father, then she needed to act fast.

"Sure. I don't mind picking you up today. I'll be there soon. Love you."

Smiling, William ended the call, put his cell phone away and went to go collect his car keys. Chloe panicked. It was happening all over again and what was she doing? Standing there like an idiot in the hallway by the end table, doing nothing.

_Ahh, what do I do? What do I do? Come on think Chloe, think! I gotta stop dad from getting in that car!_

"Excuse me ladies, I have to go rescue yonder Queen at the Save-Mart. She doth have many bags of delicious grub for us to feast upon."

William proudly announced as he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. Max laughed at William, finding his forced Old English accent rather charming.

"William you are ridiculous."

"So is your dad. We dads are masters at being jesters in the house's court. Now, where did I put my keys?"

William walked past Chloe, who was still glancing around nervously and trying to think of a way to prevent the one thing that truly, changed her life for the worst.

"Are they in here?"

William circled around the end table, patted around on it and lifted up several objects. He finally found the keys under a ball hat. Satisfied, William turned around, tossed the car keys up then caught them with ease.

"Ah-ha. I found you. Like a crow, I always like to stash shiny things. The trouble is remembering that I hid them away. Now, lock up after I leave, play nice, try not to destroy too much of the house."

William stopped by the door frame and gestured politely at Max in the kitchen.

"And no Chloe and Max wine-tasting session."

Max laughed again.

"Mr. Price, I cross my heart and hope to die. We'll be good."

Turning to Max, William observed her from where he was standing by the door frame, proud to see that she was taking his scolding sincerely.

"I trust you Max. It's Chloe who needs to not blow it because tonight, your mother and Joyce promised to make us their world-famous salmon surprise with chocolate cake for desert. Max, you'll stay afterwards right? Chloe wants you to spend the night again. It's fine with me and Joyce if it's fine with you and your folks."

Max dropped the whisk in the mixing bowl and gave William two thumbs up.

"Of course! At this rate though, I'll never leave Chloe. You guys are like my second home and family at this point. Be safe William. Chloe and I will hold down the fort. Won't we Chloe?"

"Uhhh..."

Chloe trailed off and left Max's question unanswered. She didn't mean to come off so stand-offish to Max but currently, preserving William was Chloe's top priority.

"Umm, dad? I mean, daddy?"

Ignoring Max in the kitchen, Chloe walked down the hallway and to the front door William was just about to open. She didn't know what else to do except to convince him to take another route. Touching her father's shoulder, Chloe forced William to stop and turn around.

"Yes, Chloe?"

Chloe clutched William's shoulder so hard, he blinked and couldn't help but notice how uncharacteristically tense she was.

"Honey, are you all right?"

"You can take the bus, right? The bus stop is right down the street! Dad, I mean, daddy... please... take the bus instead."

"Why would I do that when I can just drive?"

Chloe bowed her head feeling a sharp sting in her eyes. She blinked, allowing the tears to go. Raising her head slowly, Chloe gazed into her father's eyes and her hold around his shoulder increased dramatically.

"Daddy please... just take the bus."

Arching an eyebrow, William looked off, considered the offer, then glanced at Chloe's hand on his shoulder. It was shaking and her nail were starting to dig into his skin. Not hard, but hard enough that he felt some pressure.

"Chloe I don't know what's gotten into you but if I take the bus, will you relax?"

William didn't have the foggiest idea what would have set Chloe's nerves off like this. He just knew he didn't like it and wanted to help ease the burden, like he was always known to do when the women in his family fell under stress.

"Yes. I will."

Smiling, William gathered his little girl up into his arms and placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

"This I can do. I'm off to yonder bus stop."

Chloe closed her eyes and hugged her father close, needing to feel him, needing his warmth to fill her, all around.

"I love you."

She whispered, clinging to him even harder. Laughing, William gently untangled Chloe's arms from around his waist.

"I love you too. Now be good and wait for me and your mother to get back?"

William patted Chloe affectionately on the head, opened the door and stepped out into a sea of white. Chloe was too emotionally tore up to even consider the abnormal light of the outside. She stepped away from the door, waited for William to shut it behind him then turned around to go into the kitchen to be with Max. Chloe didn't have to go far. While Chloe was having a moment with her father, Max had stealthily stepped into the hallway and quietly stood in the background, waiting for Chloe to notice her.

"Chloe, are you okay? You're acting so strange."

Chloe felt another tear escape and run down her cheek. Before Max could inspect Chloe's reasons or ask her why she was crying, Chloe took Max's hand and swung them around. Earlier when Max swung her arms around, she just wasn't feeling it. Now, she was soaring and wanted to celebrate her success with Max.

"Max! I am awesome!  _We_  are gonna be awesome!"

Max grinned, glad to see that Chloe was back to her old self. She giggled and jumped up and down with her and Chloe just grinned at her as they whirled around each other. White started to spill into the setting and cover everything up, including Max. Chloe felt Max's fingers fading away as well as her laughter dim out of the picture. At that point, Chloe could no longer see Max, the house or herself. Where she went, where anything went, remained shrouded in mystery. Chloe wanted to be scared but chose to embrace the odd light flooding her vision rather than fear it and wreck herself trying to understand it. Personally, Chloe had a good feeling about the choice she made to keep her father alive and believed it would save his life. If her plan worked and William returned home safe and sound with her mother, the next step was to get Vanessa and Ryan to allow Max to stay with her long term. As in, forever. Chloe was selfish and desperate enough to do it and she would do it. If she was going to be in the past, then Chloe was bent on changing quite a few things of the past to work out in her favor.

 

* * *

**Past Photo:** Joyce, Chloe standing beside each other at William's funeral.

 **Present Photo:** Chloe, her parents, Max and her parents are in the living room of the Price household. Chloe stands beside Max in the middle of the living room, facing the adults and expresses why she wants Max to live with her if Max's parents decide to move away.

 **Past Photo:** Chloe a year or so later with blonde chopped hair, sitting down, travel bag strapped to her back.

 **Present Photo:** Chloe a year or so later with Max and the Prices at a vacation resort. Joyce and William hold each other while watching Chloe put Max in a head lock. Max is laughing and has arm raised up and she offers cotton candy to Chloe's open mouth, so she can eat some of it.

 **Past Photo:** David leaning into Joyce on their wedding day.

 **Present Photo:** William and Joyce leaning in and clinking glasses on their wedding anniversary.

 **Past Photo:** Chloe leaning over and glaring at an upset David as she prepares to stab into her 18th birthday cake.

 **Present Photo:** Max driving Chloe's brand new red truck from the car lot with William, for Max has her driving license at this point and together with William, they plan to surprise her at the house.

 

 

* * *

   **Arcadia Bay - 2013**

* * *

 

Chloe was still for a long moment, trying to take everything she was feeling into slow consideration. The last solid memory she had, as of her younger self jumping around with Max in the house. Then... everything went white and now that her vision had cleared, she was sitting outside of Blackwell under some trees with people from the Vortex Club. Chloe saw Hayden first. She shook her head to clear it, struggling to shake off the time travel effects. Courtney was standing up a little ways off to the side from where Hayden was lazily lounging. She high fived another member Chloe didn't recognize from the original time line she was from. Sitting directly across from her was Nathan. He wasn't wearing his red jersey jacket today but his blue one. Chloe blinked, thrown by Nathan's calm, collected profile. He was making small talk with another student who was thinking about joining the club. Everyone was discussing different topics of interest, but Chloe couldn't find it in herself to say much. She was a tad overwhelmed at what all transpired in what seemed like a brief period of time.

"Hello? Are you even listening Elizabeth?"

_That voice..._

Chloe twisted her neck around and saw a face she really didn't care for.

 _Victoria Chase? What the what? Is she..._   ** _smiling_** _at me? And **meaning**  it?_

"Uhhh..."

Chloe glanced around at the other students, almost expecting one of them to say something about it. Victoria and Chloe never liked b each other, would never be caught seen sitting next to each other unless a teacher assigned them seats. It wasn't just Victoria's admiration for Chloe that made things awkward. It was how Victoria reached down and put a concerned hand on her thigh and rubbed it in care that made the hairs stand up on the back of Chloe's neck.

"Chloe. Never Elizabeth."

Victoria removed her hand from Chloe's thigh and flashed her a charming smile.

"I know, sorry Lizzy. You're not pissed at me, right?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow, unsure if she heard Victoria correctly.

_What. Did. She. Just call me?_

"Right?"

Victoria repeated, anxious to be forgiven for upsetting Chloe again. Chloe wasn't sure why, but she physically had to bite back the urge to gag. It nicely hit her out of nowhere and she was forced to put her hand over her mouth, just to make sure whatever tried to come up her throat stayed down. She was going to say it was seeing Victoria that did it but then, Nathan's head snapped up and he got up from where he was sitting so he could go over to sit beside Chloe. Since Hayden was in his way, Nathan snapped his finger then firmly thrust his thumb over his shoulder to cue that Hayden needed to move. Rolling his eyes, Hayden sat up then got to his feet. He hated it when Nathan acted like this every time Chloe had one of "those" moments. It was getting old but since he respected Nathan and didn't want to be on his bad side, Hayden walked off, done socializing for the day. With Hayden gone, Nathan took a seat next Chloe. Chloe flinched when he reached out with both hands and gently took hold of her shoulders. Nathan overlooked her noticeable discomfort and just gave her arms a rub down, as if to offer some form of massage.

_Dude, why is he all over me? This is hella weird!_

Chloe was just about to slap Nathan's hands off of her shoulders and then she saw his face soften and eyebrows knit together in concern. Nathan looking at her like made Chloe hesitate. He was Nathan but not Nathan. The things that drove her crazy about Nathan in the other timeline, strangely enough, was not having the same effect on Chloe in the current timeline. He was really worried about her and Chloe found herself lost under his tender gaze.

"Is the baby bothering you again? Do you want some money for the morning sickness Chloe? I wanna help. Just tell me what you need, and I'll give it to you."

Chloe's entire world stopped. Blinking rapidly, Chloe's eyebrows raised up and her mouth sagged open in disbelief. She sat there with her shoulders clasped by his hands and just stared at Nathan in complete awe.

_Did he just say **baby?!**  I'm  **pregnant?!**  No way!  How could I be so careless?_

Stuttering over her words, Chloe weakly exclaimed,

"B-Baby? I-I have a baby inside of me?"

Dipping his head, Nathan claimed Chloe's lips with his own, surprising her. Chloe's eyes widened all over again and her mouth slowly parted against Nathan's in shock. Nathan took that as an opening to deepen the kiss. Her body melted against his and she sighed blissfully in his mouth.  _Clearly_ , they had kissed each other before today. Why else would her body respond to him so easily? His lips felt warm and the kiss overall, was very nice but Chloe was so overwhelmed by everything and the news of her child, she didn't return Nathan's kiss. Nathan didn't mind. He liked it when Chloe played hard to get. It was one of the few charming traits about her and why they were in a relationship.

"How many times do I have to say it? It's not just your baby, it's  _our_  baby."

Just when Chloe thought her life couldn't get any more messed up, Nathan had to go and say that.

"Our baby...?"

She whispered, blinking unexpected tears out of her eyes. Chloe wasn't even sure why she was getting emotional. She didn't feel like crying. She felt like yelling and hitting things in the junkyard with a bat.

"Yes. Ours. We made it together. Granted, neither us were expecting something like this to happen but we're making it work. But you need to tell your parents about it. This whole "I've just gained a few pounds from stress." isn't going to fool them forever babe."

Chloe wiped the tears away, inwardly cringing at the nickname. She didn't mind being called "babe" by the right kinds of people. Nathan Prescott wasn't one of those people, but this was something Chloe was going to have to accept in this timeline and adjust to. Just like the new life growing inside of her.

_I don't believe this. Me? A mom? I can't even look after myself. How am I supposed to care for a kid? Ugh. Nathan's kid, of all people. God why did I gave to hook up with him? I can't say anything about Rachel and Frank anymore._

Chloe looked down at herself, hoping to find no evidence that she was with child. She didn't notice it before when she came out of her trance from time travel, but there was a small, defined bulge pushing against her shirt, not terribly noticeable but still obvious. It was small enough to hide, but firm enough that Chloe could cup her hands around it.

"Chloe's acting weird again today."

Taylor muttered, drawing some of the Vortex Club members attention over to herself. Chloe, being one of them.

"God, her being a mom is really messing with the club's style."

Victoria took offense to Taylor's comment for Chloe, even though Chloe didn't give two figs about Taylor or what she thought about her. Thinking she was doing Chloe a favor, Victoria jumped her minion and rightly put Taylor in her place.

"Cut Lizzy some slack. She's done a great job taking Rachel's place as the club's president. Not to mention, she's juggling classes on top of preparing to be a mom. Tell me, Taylor, when was the last time you showed your parents a straight A report card and got to be on the Honor Roll?"

Taylor opened her mouth but was interrupted by Victoria's comeback.

"Shove it Taylor. You're just jealous that Chloe's out doing all of us and still coming out strong despite her delicate condition."

Courtney rolled her eyes then crossed her arms, not so convinced that Chloe was the sweet angel Victoria made her out to be.

"Um, _hello?_  She had a bad rep before the Vortex Club. The only reason she got in is because Rachel wanted her to be here. Oh yeah and her baby's daddy."

Nathan wrapped his arm around Chloe and drew her instinctively closer to him. Chloe blushed, not expecting Nathan to be so... so protective of her. Pressing her lips together, Chloe took a risk by nestling into Nathan and trailing her arm over his stomach. Feeling Chloe's arm tense then relax, Nathan glanced down at her and grinned. Chloe bashfully looked at the grass and wondered why she felt the urge to return the affection. In her mind, she was finding at least five reasons to pull away. In her heart, she was finding only one reason to stay, and she wasn't sure what frustrated her more.

"Screw you Courtney. Even if Rachel didn't let Chloe join, I would have approved her. I  _own_  the Vortex Club, remember? Rachel acted as my shadow, even though she was the president and I'm just a mere member by choice, mind you."

Courtney waved her hand, cutting him off.

"Whatever. I'm going to the dorm. Chow."

Keeping herself curled up against Nathan, Chloe lifted her head off his shoulder and asked the group a much needed to know question.

"You guys mentioned Rachel earlier. Where is she?"

Instantly, the atmosphere shifted at the mention of Rachel's name. Victoria and Taylor exchanged hesitant looks while the other students chose to remain silent. Nathan frowned then sighed, not wanting to be the one to remind Chloe of Rachel's current status.

"She's still missing. Cops are about to call it quits too, which is a shame because you two were-"

Putting one finger in the collar of his shirt, Nathan tugged at it then gently cleared his throat.

"You two  _are_  thick as thieves. But maybe it's a good thing Rachel's not here. She would beat me senseless for this."

Nathan placed his free hand on Chloe's lower abdomen and gave it a light rub. The Chloe of the other timeline that was still very much a part of her make up, wanted to smack his hand off but the present Chloe, who was going to take some serious getting used to, couldn't find it in herself to do it. Nathan wasn't acting crazy and to top it off, he was being really nice about everything. He even offered to pay for morning sickness medication, which showed Chloe that he was being considerate and taking her sensitive state seriously.

_Why couldn't he of had this attitude from my timeline and pay me some quick cash?_

Closing her eyes, Chloe groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, gravely annoyed at herself and the situation she was in.

_God. What else have I changed?_

"You okay babe?"

Chloe carefully moved out from under Nathan's arm, stood up off the grass and gave Nathan and the remaining members of the Vortex Club a tired smile.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Listen I gotta go look into something... I'll be back later."

Nathan stood up and casually turned to Chloe. She cautiously watched Nathan approach her as he took one of her hands in his and cupped her face with the other.

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Chloe felt herself blush again. Glancing away from him, Chloe allowed Nathan to caresses her cheek but made sure to use her own hand to push against his shoulder. Chloe didn't want to tell Nathan was invading her personal space, which he clearly was, but she couldn't say that without hurting his feelings and causing a scene. Chloe didn't need people giving her weird looks or want break Nathan's heart. Whether Chloe liked it or not, wanted it or not, they were together and apparently, had strong feelings for each other. At least Chloe as herself before she caught up to the Chloe everyone knew her as in the current timeline, had mutual affections for Nathan. Not only did Chloe have a good relationship with Nathan, but she was sexually attracted to him. That said a lot because Chloe wasn't into the men of Arcadia Bay, none of them caught her eye but Nathan must have been good to her in bed because every time he touched her or would look at her, her heart would flutter in her chest and she couldn't help but notice how his touch made her feel good. It was inconvenient for her because of how she felt about the Prescott family and Nathan in general. But it wasn't going to help Chloe to take out her frustration on him now or yell at him for knocking her up. This already transpired prior to coming to in the current time line so Chloe had to deal with the consequences of her choices to change the past.

_Max is gonna freak when I tell her about this. Dude, where **is**  Max anyway?_

"Umm no. I uh..."

Chloe twisted around in Nathan's arms and sub-consciously grazed her hands down his arms. She averted his worried stare, Victoria's cheeky grin and quickly found something else to gaze at. No matter how Chloe sliced it, being pregnant, carrying Nathan Prescott's child and an active member of the Vortex Club, was just plain crazy. It made her feel so socially awkward amongst the lot of their group and she needed to get away from them for those reasons.

"I just need to be alone for a while. Got a lot on my mind."

Nathan dropped his arms from around Chloe, looking rather defeated to be rejected by her. Chloe stole a glance at his face and didn't think seeing Nathan like that would bother her... but it did.

_He looks like he just lost his best friend. Ugh. I blame my hormones for being so weak willed and maternal._

This time it was Chloe who reached out and embraced Nathan. Taylor rolled her eyes and did herself a favor by getting up and leaving. She couldn't stand seeing Nathan so lovey-dovey around Chloe. Chloe waited for Taylor to get a little further down the sidewalk before tearing her eyes of her and snapping them back to his face. Half forcing, half meaning a timid smile, Chloe's fingers danced down Nathan's side then she clutched at the fabric of his shirt. He grinned, enjoying the feel of having Chloe and her baby bump pressed up against him. It made him feel special and wanted. Something he wasn't used to until they got past their differences and started to get to know each other.

"On second thought, can you drive me home?"

She whispered by his ear and Nathan groaned softly, slightly aroused by just the sound of her voice.

"I want to look into something off campus."

"Sure Chloe. Anything for you. Where you wanna go?"

Chloe couldn't be sure if Max was living at the dorms or at the house. She decided to check at home first. If she didn't find Max at the house, she'd turn around and come back. Just because he could, Nathan leaned in and kissed Chloe deeply on the mouth, not the least ashamed of doing it in front of the Vortex Club members. Victoria didn't mind. She got a kick out of them. So thrilled was she to witness their exchange of passion, Victoria took out her smart phone and snapped a picture of their kiss. When Nathan dared to break the kiss, he placed another soft chaste kiss on Chloe's chin. Smirking against her creamy skin, Nathan trailed his lips down the slender neck, just to tease her and he relished the soft gasp that filled his ears.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me Chloe?"

Chloe heard his breathless voice ask. Blinking, Chloe lifted her arms, draped them over his neck and continued press into Nathan. She closed her eyes, very much enjoying the way he dragged his lips along the side of her neck.

"I'm starting to..."

She muttered, all the more amazed at how her body was responding to his touch. Was it a good thing to have such power over a Prescott? Chloe wasn't entirely sure that it was, but she couldn't deny that she liked it and was honestly starting to warm up to Nathan's affections for her.

"Where am I taking you? You didn't tell me?"

"My... house..."

Chloe barely managed to say the words, as Nathan was gradually starting to excite her body and it was becoming harder to hide from everyone. Knowing he was having this effect on Chloe, Nathan grinned and let his hands trail up and down Chloe's back. She gasped, feeling a wake of fire that burned down her skin, much to her embarrassment.

"N-Nathan."

Chloe whispered, leaning into him.

"Yes?"

Eyes fluttering shut, Chloe sighed blissfully as she lowered her hands to rest on Nathan's waist. She dug her nails in his skin and greedily tugged him closer to herself.

"Stop it. I can't afford to get distracted right now."

Nathan grin stretched.

"That's what you said four months ago and look where that led."

Chloe felt the entire weight of her flushed body rest against Nathan as if it was totally natural for her to do.

_I dunno how I'm gonna fix this, but until I find a way, I suppose I could indulge a little... he's actually not bad at this romancing thing._

"Yeah I see the fruit of that exchange. Let's not make this a habit, okay?"

Chloe was referring to getting pregnant and Nathan knew that but if he was going to be honest with himself, he didn't mind the concept of having more kids with Chloe. Granted, this all depended on how well they did with their first kid but if it worked out, then Nathan was totally going to knock Chloe up again.

"Mmm. I'll try to remember that next time."

Chloe opened her mouth to say something but Nathan's doting kisses all over face cut her off. Chloe went back in and firmly finished the affectionate gesture with a heated kiss to his mouth. Their tongues tickled and Chloe let out a soft moan, feeling the bruising intensity behind the kiss. She was aching all over and they weren't even being serious about it.

"We're never going to get you home if we keep this up, Chloe."

Chloe dropped her head to Nathan's neck and nipped lightly at the flesh, no longer concerned about how their little dance started or where they would end it.

_I had no idea that the punk who begs like a little girl could be so... so..._

Chloe couldn't finish what she was thinking. She was delirious from their foreplay and was starting to lose control over the situation.

"I need to go to my house, will you take me? Afterwards if you wanna finish this..."

Chloe lifted her hand off Nathan's waist and trailed it over his chest suggestively.

"I might be open to the idea."

Chloe remarked in a highly alluring tone, not caring or thinking anymore about the words that fell out of her mouth. Bright colors surrounded them and everything was a glorious haze of desire and feeling. She knew Victoria was still hanging around because she could hear her snickering in the background. As for the other members of the Vortex Club and students who were thinking about joining? They may have left or were still hanging out. It didn't matter. Chloe was utterly and completely lost in Nathan and she was okay with it. For the moment, anyway.

"Is that a subtle hint that you wanna hook up later?"

Nathan promptly let her go and laughed watching as Chloe stumbled away and tried to center herself.

"She's already preggers Nathan. What more can you do to the poor thing? Then again, it's you so I'm sure you'll find a way to make her submit to you all over again."

Ignoring the autumn chill in the air, Chloe started for the parking lot. When she saw that Nathan wasn't following heart, Chloe paused and shot him a invitation with her eyes.

"Come on Nathan. I really need to check in at home."

Nodding, Nathan walked around Victoria and scampered off after Chloe. Victoria waved goodbye, a content smile on her face.

"Call me later, okay Che?"

Chloe forced a polite grin but didn't stop walking.

_Lizzy, babe, now Che? How many nicknames do I have around here?_

On their way to the parking lot, Nathan offered to drive Chloe in her car, not truck. Chloe was a little shocked that even in the new timeline that she didn't have a truck of some kind but she couldn't change that. Shrugging, she allowed Nathan to drive her home.

 

* * *

  **Song:[Kids Will Be Skeletons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX8ebGCzGeo)**  - Mogwai

* * *

 

As Nathan drove Chloe home, she rested her head against the cool glass of the window with much weighing on her mind. Nathan figured Chloe was tired from her long day at school and also from the pregnancy, so he let her be. They passed several landmarks on the drive. The junkyard and Two Whales Diner that overlooked the coast where the lighthouse stood proudly on the cliff. By the time they reached Chloe's house it was right at the Golden Hour. The part of the sunset that Max would love to take photos of.

_Heh, the hippie loves this stuff. I wonder why she wasn't at the campus? Hmm, maybe her classes ended early? I mean, it's not like I know her schedule anymore._

A good while later, Nathan pulled up into the driveway.

"Hey. Looks like you have a full house. Were you expecting visitors?"

Chloe sat up in her seat to get a better look through the windshield. Nathan spoke correctly. There were other cars in the driveway. She recognized them both. The Ford belonged to Ryan and the Buick belonged to Vanessa.

"Huh? No, not that I know of. That's the Caulfields cars. Why are they here?"

Nathan frowned, having a good idea as to why Max's parents were in the neighborhood.

"Ahhh, well, considering what Max's life is now compared to what it used to be, I'm not surprised her parents are making long trips from Seattle to come see her. I heard from Kate... that she doesn't have much time left."

Chloe whipped her head around, eyes wide. Nathan's word felt like a punch across her face and then some.

"What... do you mean... she doesn't have much time left?"

Nathan blinked and cocked an eyebrow. He didn't find Chloe's stunt cute at all.

"That's not cool Chloe."

Chloe leaned in and touched Nathan's shoulder, drawing his attention instantly.

"Nathan, I'm not playing around. What's wrong with Max?"

Nathan gently jerked his shoulder free then put the car in park and turned off the ignition. He turned to her and frowned again, silently wondering to himself if Chloe was going through some kind of phase or if she was just trying to piss him off by acting dumb.

"Dude, what is up with you today? First you zone out at the school there towards the end, now you're gonna sit there and pretend you don't know what's wrong with Max?"

Chloe's eyes darted all over Nathan's face, desperately seeking answers he refused to give. When Nathan saw that Chloe's expression wasn't letting up, he did a double take and gestured between the two of them.

"The whole town knows about the accident that happened four months back Chloe. _You_ were the one that posted her accident on your Facebook account. You told everyone you knew and asked them to pray for the situation, even the people you couldn't stand. Like me, at the time. Don't you remember? It was Max's accident that ultimately brought us together. Rachel may have asked you to come into the Vortex Club, but that didn't help our relationship. Max's accident however, did. How could you forget something so profound as that? You were so messed up during that time. But thank God your dad came out of the wreck okay. Not that I'm saying Max getting hurt is better, it's not but I feel like... if that had been your dad, you would have lost it. Like, more then you have over Max."

Chloe couldn't see straight. She was in way over head and the only thing she could think about was getting out of her car, marching into her house and seeing Max for herself. Without telling Nathan goodbye or asking him to come with her, Chloe unbuckled her seat belt and hurriedly got out of the car. She didn't have to run, but she did. She ran up the walkway to the front door and even though it was her own house, she felt the need to knock. She knocked again when no one answered. Nathan sat still and watched her from the car, convinced Chloe was having a shock episode and that was why she was acting so weird. He would get out if she looked at him and summoned him to herself. Until she did, he remained put and was content just observing from the car. Chloe raised her fist to knock a third time but thankfully, someone heard her and the front door groaned open. She saw four adults looking at her and every single one of them smiled. Her mother. Her mother's childhood best friend, Vanessa. Vanessa's husband, Ryan and finally, her own father.

"Chloe! How wonderful to see you honey. We were just thinking about calling you to see if you were going to come home tonight. The Caulfileds came in to visit and eat with us. Isn't that nice?"

Chloe wanted to jump for joy seeing her father but she couldn't do it. Not knowing what little information about Max running through her mind. She managed to crack a faint smile at the adults but that was all she did. As if sensing Chloe's silent question, Vanessa motioned for Ryan to step off to the side with her so Chloe could have some room.

"I'm sure Max would love to see you. She didn't think you'd be able to come home tonight with your finals and everything."

Chloe shook her head, already starting to get a bad feeling about Max.

"Oh no Mrs. Caulfield. I wouldn't diss Max for anything. She means the world to me. Um... can I... can I see her? She is here, isn't she?"

Ryan and Vanessa shared a brief smile. Nodding, Vanessa gestured for Chloe to come inside while Ryan went to go get Max from the backyard.

"Chloe, have you gained weight?"

Instantly, all the adults, minus Ryan, set their curious gazes on Chloe. Pressing her lips firmly together, Chloe blinked, thrown by the question.

"Uhhh..."

Trailing off, Chloe gave Vanessa a startled look, then she remembered that she was pregnant and according to Nathan, no one knew that she was expecting. Rubbing at her neck, Chloe laughed lightly as she stepped inside the house. She shut the door behind her, trying to play it off like the comment didn't bother her.

"Yeah. A little. Mom's cooking and school stress can do that to a person you know?"

Joyce rolled her eyes.

"Don't blame your laziness to keep fit on me Chloe. I don't shove the extra helpings down your throat."

"Here she is everyone! Max, go say hello to Chloe!"

Ryan excitedly urged his baby girl, standing by the screen door near the fireplace and allowing Max to go ahead of him. Everyone, including Chloe turned their heads and looked at Max slowly approaching them. What Chloe saw... made her hands go up over her mouth and her eyes burn with fresh tears. The closer Max came into the view, the harder it was for Chloe to keep herself composed. Max pretended not to notice Chloe's breakdown. In fact, Chloe had at least one breakdown when they were together because she couldn't stop blaming herself for what happened. Despite how everyone, including Max, expressed to Chloe that it was a freak accident and not her fault, Chloe still couldn't seem to stop blaming herself. Now that Chloe had seen Max with her own eyes, now that she had seen the result of her choices to save her father and beg the Caulfields to allow Max to live with her if they moved away... she regretted it all. Nothing, not even knowing what her choices would of done in the long run and having time to adjust, could have prepared Chloe to see Max in a remote controlled wheelchair, without her legs and her left arm. Chloe could barely see out of her eyes because the tears were so thick but not even the tears could blur out Max's only hand strapped down or the head gear that held Max's face upright. She had some kind of tube in the middle of her neck that trailed down into a oxygen tank of sorts. Chloe's chin quivered and all at once, she found herself walking up to Max. Her hair was long, as was her bangs. Her eyes dim, almost void of the spark she carried in the other time line. Her freckled face was tired but perked up a little when Chloe drew closer. Chloe just stood there, unable to speak, much less express how she was feeling in that moment. Content with things, the adults left the girls alone and returned to the kitchen where they continued the preparation of the evening meal. Meanwhile, Chloe sank to her knees and remained in the lowly position.

"Welcome home Chloe."

Max grinned weakly. Seeing her do that only made the heaviness Chloe felt in her chest intensify.

"How was class?"

Chin still quivering, Chloe hastily wiped the remaining tears away and gently and very carefully lowered her head onto Max's half lap and slid her shaky arms around Max's waist.

"It was fine..."

Chloe trailed off and a sob racked her body without warning and she whimpered like a pitiful child. Even though Max couldn't use her paralyzed hand to stroke Chloe's head, she looked down using her eyes and crooned to her gently.

"Aww, you can't fool this washed up pirate. I know you better than you know yourself. Come on now, out with it. What's wrong?"

Max sounded as fragile as she looked. Like glass. Glass that could shatter at any moment or if handled the wrong way. Sniffing, Chloe bit her lower lip and fought off another wave of tears. Inhaling through her nostrils, Chloe slowly lifted her head off Max's half lap and stared hard into Max's kind, understanding eyes. After what seemed like an eternity of just breathing, Chloe's broken whisper broke the silence.

"Everything."

 

* * *

 

 **The End...?**  


	7. Episode 7: Love In Strange Places (W)

Chloe pulled back and licked her sensitive lips. Her skin felt hot and the bright ray of sunlight streaming through the window, beating against her back had no part in it. Currently, the two teens had just finished a very powerful intercourse and were resting from their activity. Nathan was half dressed in his boxer shorts and Chloe was in her underwear. If Chloe could have her way, their clothes would come off again before noon. If she was quick and smoothed talked Nathan, possibly in the next five minutes.

"What's wrong?"

Nathan's eyes squinted open, adjusting to the brightness. Chloe watched with a soft fascination as Nathan's pupils constricted into tiny, black specks.

"Nothing's wrong."

She managed a distracted smile, her attention sweeping back to yesterday and the image of Max in the chair burned in her mind. It was haunting, convicting really. She wanted to tell Max everything, but Max didn't know about Chloe's power. This marked the second time she was going to have to catch Max up on what was going on. But that in itself, was still up for debate. This Max was different, much more fragile in mind and spirit. Last night Chloe had several opportunities to tell Max about what she had done. Even if Chloe hadn't gotten the nerve to admit those details, she could have let Max in on the baby but in the end, Chloe chickened out. Chloe couldn't have confined in Max even if she wanted to, she was too numb from seeing Max in general and processing what her choices had created for them, it was wonder how Chloe held together without being emotional wreck all night long. What good did it to do her to save her father and have Max live with her if Max's fate was ultimately, loosing limbs and being bound to a chair and having people tend to her needs for the rest of her life? What was left of it... yet another reason Chloe ran to Nathan when she did. She went through motions, acted like she was fine with everything, ate supper with her family and the Caulfields, but the second Max got sleepy and had to have her parents help to the garage, which was now her new bedroom, Chloe excused herself and said she had to go back to the dorm to study for a final. That was partly true. She did have a final coming up, but it didn't require her to leave the house.

Truthfully, Chloe couldn't handle seeing Max disabled and the weight of how everyone had adjusted to Max's new life. Technically, Chloe was a part of that change but blast it all, she didn't remember anything! If she didn't recall getting knocked up there was no way she'd remember Max's condition. It was wonderful that Nathan stayed in the car and waited for Chloe as long as he did. She meant to invite him inside to eat with everyone but with the shock of everything happening so fast, she forgot about him. It was only when she mentioned wanting to go back to Blackwell, hugging everyone good-bye and stepping outside into the night that she saw her car with him inside of it. Chloe went back to campus with Nathan out of desperation and partly because she needed to release what she was feeling.

Confusion. Anger. Pain. All of it was eating at her. Sex was the only thing that Chloe thought would help her channel her emotions out and help her get a grip. She needed to if she was going to face Max at any point or Nathan for that matter. Even though it was wrong of Chloe to take advantage of Nathan's affection for her and charm him into taking them to a hotel for the night, she did it anyway. It wasn't like he was complaining. Chloe could tell she had Nathan wrapped around her finger and based on he acted at the school, Nathan willingly wanted to be submit to Chloe.

The only thing that mattered to Chloe when they got to the hotel was getting naked as soon as possible so she could use their time together as a way to distract herself from the horrible things that she had brought on herself, her family and her beloved soulmate. Despite so many setbacks, there was one thing positive that came out of jumping through time and winding up in a alternate reality. Chloe was genuinely happy being with Nathan Prescott. Their baby aside, that was something she could fuss about and dread later. It was obvious by now that Nathan wanted Chloe in his life and was willing to do anything to keep her happy. Chloe was going to use that to her advantage as much as possible before trying to undo the mistakes she had made. With that thought happily cemented in her mind, Chloe pushed off her arms and straightened her back, legs on either side of Nathan's hips. She didn't miss the approving once-over that danced down her body or the way his lips curled up in amusement.

"Are you sure you're okay with this Chloe? I don't want to you to think I'm here just to get something out of you."

Nathan's dry tone made Chloe smile.

"Heh, you kinda already got something out of me." Chloe took Nathan's hand and placed it on her tummy. "You got this." She whispered, moving his around in a slow circular motion over the baby bump. Nathan sat up a little so he could steady himself. Chloe watched him closely and saw another faint smile touch his lips. His smile touched her in a personal way and Chloe stopped moving their hands and felt her heart melt a little when his eyes slanted gently in admiration.

"Yeah. I guess I did, huh?"

"Nathan..."

Nathan raised up and planted a firm kiss on Chloe's mouth, silencing her. Chloe returned the kiss as Nathan's hand came up and latched onto her face. Chloe increased the pressure behind her kiss, forcing Nathan's head back down into the pillow. Naturally, the two gradually fell back down on the mattress and got tangled up in each other's arms. It was a good way into their make out before Chloe leaned out, and cut the kiss off. Eyes closed, panting softly, Chloe slowly moved back in and lazily nuzzled Nathan's cheek with her flushed one.

"Chloe?"

"Yeah?" She whispered, opening her eyes half way at the same time as Nathan.

"You know I'm not just doing this for kicks, right? I really do-"

" _Shh_. Nathan..." Chloe shushed Nathan with another kiss then decided she would finally address the issue he was hinting at. "If I felt you were here just to get sex outta me only, I wouldn't have asked you to bring us here. I can tell you've changed Nathan. You're not some punk whiny little girl anymore, and it's hella nice."

Struggling to believe it, Nathan opened his mouth to object but Chloe shook her head, cutting him off.

"Save it for after. We can talk about how we love the pros and cons to our little scandal later, but for right now, I really want to move this along."

Nathan looked surprised by the insight.

"I never thought of it like that. Scandal huh?"

Chloe raised her gaze and watched with growing amusement as her comment affected Nathan.

"Why do you think that?

Chloe couldn't tell Nathan about what she had done, her time power, her choices up until that point, she couldn't mention none of it. He was better, sure but his sensitive mind and mental episodes were still a part of him and Chloe didn't want to freak him out. If there was anyone she planned on telling everything to, it was Max and that was only if she felt she could get away with it. So far, it didn't look promising for Max no more than it did for Nathan.

"If only you knew... class will start in a few hours. Are we going to go after a bit or stay here all day?"

"Skipping class? I thought those days were behind you Price?"

Chloe held his stare, inwardly shaking the memories of how her and Rachel would diss class and run off together and cracked a wistful grin.

"Please Prescott. I'm always gonna be a rebel at heart. Admit it, it was my crazy that kept you coming back."

Nathan assessed Chloe for a long time, letting the seconds stretch between them.

"Was it the crazy in me that made you stay, Chloe? Or was it pity? I can't really tell with you anymore."

_Oh. Did we just get deep? I think we did._

Clearing her throat, Chloe tentatively caressed Nathan's arm, afraid he'd pull away if she answered incorrectly.

"It's not pity."

Nathan cupped Chloe's face. She ceased in grazing his arm when he did this and stared at him, wondering what he was going to do.

"If it's not pity, then why are you still here? Even now, what made you want to come to a hotel and have sex with me? Chloe, you know how I feel about you but you never give any indication of how you truly feel about me and I... I want to know how you see this. Just what is this exactly between us? Crush? Lust? Or is it something more? Because I made it pretty clear when you told me you were pregnant that it wasn't all fun and games anymore. I took you seriously and wanted us to work."

Nathan's surprisingly gentle fingers trailed over the edges of her tattoo. Frowning, Chloe sighed.

"There's a lot going on right now so I can't give you a solid answer. Give me a little more time and I promise you, I'll tell you exactly how I feel about it, 'kay?"

Chloe swallowed a swell in her throat, almost fearful of where the conversation was headed. She felt like a specimen in a jar, soon to be poked and with its insides exposed and she didn't like it. They'd gotten off track in a big way and she wanted to shift their focus back to foreplay. Chloe rotated her shoulder around the cuff to loosen some of the tension, though it was mostly for show and a sign for Nathan to make more advancements.

"Wanna another go before class? If it bothers you that much, I won't cut class, even though it's really tempting to do. I'll go but not until we have some more fun. You up for it?"

Nathan rolled his eyes but said nothing against the offer.

"Are you sure?"

Nathan asked, gripping Chloe's hips and rooting her in place. Chloe regarded Nathan for a serious moment then she dipped her head and ran her lips along the smooth skin of his neck, moving one hand down to the seam of the boxer shorts.

"Yeah. I'm sure. Make love to me Nathan and make me forget my troubles for a few hours?"

"Chloe, I love you."

The firm statement staggered her momentum. Chloe lifted her hand to her throat and swallowed. Ouch. Here she was, taking advantage of his affection, toying with what they had going on and Nathan just made it real with those three special words Rachel always warned Chloe to avoid in relationships. Even platonic ones. Unless of course, the feelings were mutual. Under normal circumstances, Chloe would laugh at such a random confession of the heart and coldly reject the fool who dared to say it. That's what she should of done because that's what she would do in the other timeline. But that isn't what Chloe did. She ignored the words and raked her eyes down Nathan's body.

"Can we talk about this later?"

Chloe sounded downright sulky, not really in the mood to get all heart-to-heart about the topic. Grinning slightly, Nathan tapped Chloe's cheek affectionately.

"Talking about it later defeats the whole purpose babe."

Chloe caught the mischievous twinkle in Nathan's eyes.

_So he's being serious but is also trying to soften the blow? Only a Prescott could do this to me._

Dropping her head, Chloe ran the tip of her nose down the side of Nathan's neck and delighted in hearing his moan fill the room.

"I know you do. I kinda picked up on that since yesterday if I'm gonna be honest."

She muttered in Nathan's neck then began a slow trail of puffy kisses around his collar bone. Nathan was sure the words were meant as quick acknowledgment, but they came out breathy and inviting. At ease with how he let Chloe know where how saw their relationship, Nathan tugged Chloe even closer to whisper in her ear.

"I'll wait for your answer. Just don't make me wait too long, us Prescotts are impatient people."

They both watched as Nathan sat up and rubbed the baby bump with tenderness.

"We have five months before this little guy gets here. Think you can tell me where you stand by then?"

Nodding distractedly, Chloe pushed Nathan back down on the bed.

"Yeah. Sure thing. I can do that."

Nathan crawled back on his elbows, whether to get comfortable on the pillows or try and escape the eagerness in Chloe's eyes to tease her, Nathan wasn't sure. He didn't care. He just wanted to get lost under her or on top of her as their passion took them over and over again.

"Now, where were we?"

Chloe asked, settling herself. She wiggled around until she was nice and comfortable then Chloe placed her hands on either side of Nathan's head, bracing her weight. She sighed deeply feeling the heat from Nathan's body bathe through her body.

"Comfy?"

Chloe laughed softly.

"Yeah. I am. Thanks for asking. So uh... these five months I have to make up my mind about us, do you wanna date or whatever? Or are we already dating?"

Chloe knew that was stupid to say but it was an important question to ask. She was just now getting caught up on things but sadly, her status with Nathan remained a mystery.

"Date?"

Nathan laughed.

"Babe, you don't have to  _date_ me."

Nathan leaned back into the pillows, grasped Chloe's forearms and stared into her smoldering, blue eyes.

"You already  _have_  me. That was kind of the whole point of saying that I loved you."

The words awakened something in Chloe because the next thing Nathan knew, Chloe rolled them over and now he was on top of her and she was on her back. Smirking, Nathan ran his fingers down Chloe's neck and gradually down to her baby bump.

"I already have you?"

She faintly echoed, squirming slightly under his heated touch.

"Yes. You do. So don't screw this up Price. I don't go throwing my heart at people. People are usually the ones who use me, rip my heart out and shatter it so... yeah. It took a lot of guts to say what I did just a bit ago."

Chloe froze, startled by the intensity of his answer.

"You're serious about this? About us?"

Nathan's lips hovered an inch over her own.

"Yes I am. I hope you will be too. Either way, I'm going to help you with the baby Chloe. I will support you and our child, even if you reject me. Please allow me that much if things don't work out between us? Please? I've never... been a dad before and although it scared me at first, when you told me you were pregnant. I realized, I've run from everything in my life or wrecked it without a second thought. This is something I want for once and I want to see if I can do it and do it right. I want to be a good dad and a good partner for you, if you'll allow me to do it."

_What have I done to this boy? Oh Forget that. What am I doing to myself? Why am I letting this feeling take me? I've... never felt like this with a guy before. It's hella scary and it's making me act like this. Dang it, it wasn't supposed to be like this._

Chloe was listening but at the same time, she wasn't listening. She too busy staring at the man above her and digesting all the powerful words he had said to her in past ten minutes. Pressing her lips together, Chloe ran her hands up and down Nathan's hairy legs.

"I would never do that to you Nathan... you will be allowed to see our child as many times as you like, hopefully with me in the picture. I mean, that  _is_  what you desire right?"

Chloe muttered something under her breath, distracted when Nathan's fingers settled on her left breast.

"Yes. But only if you're in it with me. Otherwise, it's just force. A relationship built on just feelings will die once the high is over and I'm not into you for a high, Chloe."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, sensing the sincerity in his voice.

_It's official. I have broken Nathan and he's so in love with me, it's pitiful but... I'm not upset about it. I think... I like that idea of him being with me. Ugh, all the more reason to end this now and find a way back to the other time. But if that's truly how I feel, why am I okay with this? Why am I wanting him to reassure me of everything he's saying?_

"You ain't getting rid me that easily Prescott. Once you get a Price in your life, they're really hard to dismiss."

Chloe sat up and wrapped her arms around Nathan, turning them over so she was back on top. She ran her hand down Nathan's side, tickling him, raking her nails down his ribs, down his hips and back up. The other teen twisted under Chloe's hands, breathing heavily. Content that she was going to get what she wanted out of him, Chloe started to pepper kiss along Nathan's neck and collarbone. They had wasted way too much time talking already. Now Nathan was under her and nipped at the love bite she'd inflicted earlier, smiling against the skin when Nathan squirmed underneath her. Chloe moved her hands down to his waist instead. Chloe held Nathan in place as she continued to feast on his neck and shoulders. On whim, Chloe wanted to learn what their first exchange was like. Leaning back slightly, Chloe kissed Nathan on his cheek then whispered by his ear,

"Can you tell me about our first time together?"

Chloe grasped Nathan's chin, forcing his head back into the pillows. Nathan closed his eyes, seeing the event vividly in his mind. Hopefully, he wouldn't think her question was odd or look at her like she should know.

"We were drunk for different reasons. You were wasted because of the despair from Max's accident and I was drunk because... because I was dealing with some serious family issues at the time. One thing led to another and then we lost our virginity to each other for a good seven hours or so."

"Wow. That quick? Did I even try to stop you or us from going all the way?"

"Nah. You went down really easy actually."

Chloe released Nathan's chin, rolled off him and plopped down on the pillow, her head next to Nathan's.

"That's hella embarrassing. And from that one union, you got me knocked up?"

Nathan turned his head to Chloe.

"Yeah. Fertile much?"

Chloe released a soft chuckle, somehow expecting her first time to be less romantic then that.

"Where did we do it?"

"At the lighthouse. On the bench and eventually, on the ground. During a thunderstorm too."

Nathan heard Chloe laugh and lift her head up off the pillows.

" _Wow_. Just.  _Wow_. We clearly didn't have any standards that night, huh?"

They grinned and shared a mutual look.

"I know. I personally wished it had been during a Vortex Club party myself."

"You would."

Nathan's gaze trailed down Chloe's neck, chest, and finally, down her belly. He reached over and gently grasped her chin, forcing it up.

"Give it some time. We'll get better as we go. I vouch to do it in your car. On a road trip to Portland!"

Chloe's features softened, and she found herself leaning into his outstretched hand, sighing deeply.

"I dunno. Seems kinda pointless without Rachel or Max with me."

Nathan let go of Chloe's chin and cast her a hopeful smile.

"Maybe by the time the baby comes, Rachel will show up and maybe, just maybe, we can convince Max's parents to let her come with us? I doubt it though. She's pretty fragile, but hey, nothing wrong with wanting the best. If all else fails, we can watch documentaries about road travels at your house with Max and pretend we're owning the highway."

Chloe's disgruntled grumbling made Nathan smile's turn into a grin.

" _Lame_. I'd rather get shot in the head with a bullet before putting myself through something like that."

Nathan folded his arms behind his head and crossed his legs at the ankles.

"Careful what you wish for babe. You never know what could happen."

Chloe watched Nathan lounge on the bed as if he had every right in the world to be there. Nathan's newfound vigor was one of the first things she noticed about him when she came out of her time travel yesterday. She struggled to adjust and get used to him like that and wasn't sure what she'd do and now she was seeing it again, in their hotel room and she found she liked it. Two facts became abundantly clear to in that moment. There was a handsome rich boy stubborn in bed beside her, begging her in so many words to stay with him and two, Nathan was taking his commitments very seriously. She couldn't deny the way her body felt towards him sexually but what about her heart? That's where everything got real and Chloe was a little scared to look in that deep. And if she was going to be honest with herself, she was afraid of what she'd find.

"Why do you want me Nathan? I'm a terrible person. I took your virginity man. What made you change your mind about me?"

Nathan looked amused by the question.

"Like I'm not? I've done some pretty messed up things Chloe. But you'd know all about that, now wouldn't you?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow and a soft smile tugged on the corner of her lips. She absolutely couldn't recall a single thing about their history but she pretended to know, so Nathan didn't suspect anything.

"I love you because you accepted me and listened to me when no one else cared. I mean, I listened to your sob story about Max and how you wished it had been you who got hurt instead and you listened to my Grim Fairytale fable of being a rich kid. My opinion of you changed, when I saw how broken you were over Max and for me when I told you all the dark secrets and scandals connected to my family. You saw that I was just a pathetic victim, a tool for my father and just scared. You cared Chloe and that's enough for me to love you and want to fall in love with you."

 

* * *

  **Song:** **[Closer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT2_F-1esPk)**  - Chainsmokers

* * *

 

 

**_Hey, I was doing just fine before I met you_ **

**_I drink too much and that's an issue but I'm okay_ **

**_Hey, you tell your friends it was nice to meet them_ **

**_But I hope I never see them again_ **

 

Chloe couldn't hide her surprise or delight.

"R... Really? I did that for you?"

"You're  _still_  doing that for me. And the best part about it all, you're not coming at me for my money."

Chloe mentally winced, recalling how in the other timeline she was from, she was guilty of going to Nathan for his money and then some.

"I'm really not that great of a person Nathan. If only you knew what was going on inside me..."

Nathan sat up, leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on Chloe's forehead.

 

**_I know it breaks your heart_ **

**_Moved to the city in a broke down car_ **

**_And four years, no calls_ **

**_Now you're looking pretty in a hotel bar_ **

**_And I can't stop_ **

**_No, I can't stop_ **

 

"I may not know what is up with you all the time but I do know there is a baby inside of you. Does that count?"

Their chuckles died to a companionable silence. Chloe lifted Nathan's hand and began to toy with each finger, running the pads of her finger tips along Nathan's nails.

"Do you still wanna do it before class starts? Or are you good like this?"

Nathan kept his hand still, liking the contact, but intrigued by the suggestion.

 

**_So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover_ **

**_That I know you can't afford_ **

**_Bite that tattoo on your shoulder_ **

**_Pull the sheets right off the corner_ **

**_Of the mattress that you stole_ **

**_From your roommate back in Boulder_ **

**_We ain't ever getting older_ **

**_We ain't ever getting older_ **

**_We ain't ever getting olde_** _**r** _

 

"I want to make love to you, but for right now, can we just... enjoy the moment without the extra stuff?"

Chloe smirked and stopped playing with his hand.

"I was hoping you'd say that. I'm gonna make you scream my name later, Prescott so you better be ready."

"Not if I make you scream mine first."

Both teens shuddered at the prospect.

"Then why are wasting time talking when we could be building up the suspense?"

Nathan tilted his head and trembled again, already excited at the thought of being with Chloe in that way, even if it wasn't going to immediately.

 

**_Hey, you look as good as the day I met you_ **

**_I forget just why I left you, I was insane_ **

**_Stay and play that Blink-182 song_ **

**_That we beat to death in Tuscon, okay_ **

 

"On second thought. Let's skip class today. If anyone asks, we'll tell them the baby was giving you a hard time and I, being the responsible Honor Roll student that I am, felt it was necessary to see to mother of my child's needs. If Wells doesn't buy it, tough. I'll pay him off, like I've done in the past to keep things nice and quiet."

Chloe searched Nathan's eyes as a slow smile formed on her weary face.

"Well that was short lived. And here I thought you wanted to keep up a good image. What's a pregnant teenager to do with so very limited options and a half naked man lying next to her in a hotel room?"

Nathan let out a breath and found his own smile. If that was Chloe's way of saying "Yes Nathan be with me!" he'd take it and run with it. Amused, Nathan stroked Chloe's cheek, tapping it teasingly.

"You think we'll have twins or just one?"

Chloe's laugh was lovely. Infectious and a little tired sounding, but still uplifting to hear.

 

**_I know it breaks your heart_ **

**_Moved to the city in a broke down car_ **

**_And four years, no call_ **

**_Now I'm looking pretty in a hotel bar_ **

**_And I can't stop_ **

**_No, I can't stop_ **

 

"Nathan, I can barely wrap my mind around one kid. Let's hope it's just one."

"And if it's not?"

Chloe looked off and rubbed her forehead to hide her blush.

"I'll kill you, that's what. I dunno if it's your rich genes or what, but I really like being with you... so... yeah. But all joking aside, I'd accept it. You know, if we had two kids instead of one. I'd be freaking out so you better have meant what you said about being there and wanting to help out."

 

**_So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover_ **

**_That I know you can't afford_ **

**_Bite that tattoo on your shoulder_ **

**_Pull the sheets right off the corner_ **

**_Of the mattress that you stole_ **

**_From your roommate back in Boulder_ **

**_We ain't ever getting older_ **

**_We ain't ever getting older_ **

**_We ain't ever getting older_ **

 

Nathan didn't answer and instead, he sat up and crawled on top of Chloe, gently pinning her underneath him. They leaned in at the same time and their lips brushed together. She had just enough sense to notice how soft Nathan's lips were. She'd known that all along. It wasn't a first kiss, but in a way, it felt like it was. Chloe's hand rested against Nathan's cheek and the other found his shoulder. Her confident fingers massaged the back of his neck as she deepened the kiss. A moment later, Chloe swiped her tongue across Nathan's bottom lip and she took lead, extending the kiss.

 

**_So, baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover_ **

**_That I know you can't afford_ **

**_Bite that tattoo on your shoulder_ **

**_Pull the sheets right off the corner_ **

**_Of the mattress that you stole_ **

**_From your roommate back in Boulder_ **

**_We ain't ever getting older_ **

 

They hadn't even been kissing five minutes and already Chloe was delirious with sensation. She broke away for air several seconds later. Both teens were breathing heavy and allowing their bodies to experience the increase in arousal. She squirmed, all too eager to keep going. Nathan watched her with hawk-like intensity and suddenly, Chloe was on top of him, covering the distance between them with a playful pounce. He grunted from the impact, distracted from pain by the lips that were on his, kissing him harder and so much more faster. Nathan tended to forget how quickly Chloe surrendered to passion once they got things started. Groaning in her mouth, Nathan ran his fingers through Chloe's blonde tresses and down her back, clutching her hips and delighting in the feel of Chloe on top of him. As they continued to kiss and nuzzle each other long into the morning and early afternoon Chloe could feel Nathan everywhere he touched her. His skilled fingers trailed up and down her leg, teasingly, but never moving too far up her thigh. Nathan sighed when Chloe dipped down to kiss him in the crook of his neck.

 

**_We ain't ever getting older (we ain't ever getting older)_ **

**_We ain't ever getting older (we ain't ever getting older)_ **

**_We ain't ever getting older (we ain't ever getting older)_ **

 

"You tell your parents about the baby yet?"

Chloe's breathy chuckle against Nathan's ear made him shiver.

"No, but I plan to tonight. Come over and have dinner with me today Nathan. I think we should tell them together. It will be good for them to see that you're committed to this. Might even make a difference in what I decide to do with my future when I see you again..."

Chloe was referring to the original timeline she came from but she was so wound up and lost in a sea of passion, she didn't stop to consider how Nathan would perceive her words. Nathan wanted to ask what Chloe meant, but Chloe's lips were on his again, chasing away thoughts of conversation. Chloe had long accepted that she had fallen for Nathan since being in the new timeline and getting used to her surroundings. She just didn't think she'd fall so hard.

 

**_We ain't ever getting older_ **

**_We ain't ever getting older_ **

**_No we ain't ever getting older_ **

 


	8. Episode 8: Break The Cycle (W)

The loud humming of the smartphone vibrated loudly on the end table, rudely jarring Chloe awake. Her eyes snapped open hearing it go off and she groggily lifted her head off Nathan's chest. Minding Nathan, Chloe carefully reached over him to the nightstand and picked up the smartphone. Chloe scanned the incoming call through blurry eyes and groaned softly reading the name of the caller. It was Victoria. As much as Chloe wanted to ignore Victoria's call and go back to sleep, she resisted. In rare moment of kindness, Chloe decided to be nice and answer Victoria's call. They were good friends in this timeline after all. If she treated Victoria poorly, it would raise suspicion and confuse the people who knew Chloe on a personal level. Keeping a low profile was very key until Chloe could get home to her timeline.

"Hey."

She mumbled, rolling back onto her side of the bed.

_"Was it that good Che?"_

Victoria asked from the other end.

_"It must have been. You two didn't even come to class."_

Chloe propped herself up on her elbow for support while keeping the smartphone balanced against her ear. Just when she thought she heard Victoria wrong, her eyes danced across the room until they found the wall clock above the dresser. Sure enough, it was well past noon.

"Yes Victoria. It was that good."

Chloe frowned at Victoria's question and couldn't help but wonder if the Victoria in the current timeline made it her mission to call her every time she went off with Nathan to do something. Especially something as personal like sex.

_"I'm just calling to let you know that we have a Vortex Club meeting tomorrow at five. We're planning the End Of The World party this week. Just thought you'd want to know, since you're the club's prez and all."_

Victoria's upbeat, quirky voice brought another scowl to Chloe's lips.

"Uhh, when is this End Of The World party?"

Chloe asked, getting up and looking for her clothes. She might as well get up. Victoria's phone was literally ruining all hopes of her going back to sleep.

_"October 11th. This Friday. Did you forget?"_

Chloe went into the bathroom, shut the door softly behind her and gently laid her clothes on the counter.

"No. I didn't forget."

Chloe said the words without thinking about it. Not only that, she sounded really convincing. It was shameful on her part but not even she could deny how good she was getting at lying to avoid looking like a complete idiot.

"What is today anyway? Tuesday?"

It suddenly dawned on Chloe that she didn't know what day it was. She didn't really bother to check her calendars or her smartphone for the dates. Since yesterday she had nicely been walking around numb after coming to. Seeing Max didn't help her fer focus and now, she was in hotel room recovering from a pleasing night with Nathan that went well into then next day. Taking a moment to look and see what day it was, simply slipped Chloe's mind.

_"No. It's Wednesday, October 9th. Wow Che. Does all that hot sex screw with your head that badly or are you just-"_

"You're a real perv, you know that? God, if you like the concept of intercourse that much why don't you go find a guy and bang him for yourself?"

_"Why would I want to go do that when you and Nathan are such great inspirations for Blackwell? You guys hooking up is just as juicy and scandalous when Rachel went all the way with Mr. Jefferson."_

Just hearing Rachel's name fall from Victoria's lips made Chloe's heart skip a beat. She longed to see Rachel so badly but couldn't. It was very frustrating to know that even in an alternate timeline, Rachel was still "missing" and no one knew where she was. Chloe would like to of thought where she had changed the fate of others, for better or for worse, that Rachel wouldn't be excluded from that. Sadly, Rachel was and Chloe wasn't sure if she had it in her to try and investigate in the current timeline to see if Rachel was alive and well off some where or if Rachel was gone forever.

"I'm gonna go. See you later Victoria."

Chloe hung up in the middle of what would of been a protest from Victoria and happily went about her business. She got into the shower and rinsed the evidence of her time with Nathan away. As Chloe lathered in suds, she found her mind drifting to Max once again.

_What am I gonna do? I want to fix this but..._

Chloe's soapy hand went down to rest on her baby bump.

_I think I'm enjoying myself here. Sure I'm freaking out about the baby and finding out that Nathan I hooked up but somehow, this whole thing with Nathan really messes with my head. Almost as bad as the power itself when I rewind. I wonder... if it was the **picture**  of Max and I that got me here, could I use that picture from our past or just any picture of our past and go back again?_

Chloe's hand fell away from her tummy and found the shower wall. She made a tight balled fist and wound up hitting the wall as she released a small cry of frustration.

_But if I do that, wouldn't that mean I'd have to let my dad die again? Because apparently, Dad living means Max gets screwed over and if Max lives, Dad dies._

Chloe hit the shower wall again, less forceful this time. She didn't want Nathan to hear her and think her fist banging on the wall was to be mistaken for her falling in the shower.

_Ugh, this sucks! Why can't I have them both? Wait, wait. Hold on sec._

Chloe's eyes narrowed as something else enlightened her.

_If I go back to my time, that means the Nathan I know here will cease to exist and my Nathan will be the out of control Nathan that hates everyone. That and our child will-_

Chloe clenched her jaw line so hard, she physically hurt herself but didn't care. Closing pained eyes, Chloe put her hands on her face and turned around, putting her bare back to the steamy water.

_Our child will die too. As long as I stay here, it will live but if I go, everything Nathan I did here and this child will cease to exist. Like it never happened. Am I really okay with that?_

Exhaling loudly into her hands, Chloe finally decided to get out of the shower and move along with what was left of her day. After experiencing Nathan firsthand for herself, things were noticeably different between them. The slow cautious approach Chloe had yesterday afternoon at the school had completely dissolved the moment they found themselves in bed at the hotel. At least Chloe knew Nathan was attracted to her, immensely actually and she was just as attracted back. Physical expressions of desire were equal between them enough. However, long emotional conversations were definitely something Chloe wasn't used to. Where Nathan had been open with his feelings, Chloe withheld hers from him, unsure of how to express herself.

"The boy is in love with me and I'm just leading him on."

Chloe glanced up at the ceiling.

"Or... am I?"

Chloe quietly mused to herself, running a hand through her wet slicked back hair as she weighed the options. Did she even want that kind of commitment in a relationship with Nathan Prescott? Chloe wasn't sure if she did or didn't. Dropping her head, Chloe sighed heavily, shaking herself out of the internal struggle. She turned off the water, got out of the shower and went about dressing herself then checked herself out in the mirror, not surprised to see strain on her face with a pinch of exhaustion. Moaning in her mind, Chloe rubbed at her neck and rolled her head from shoulder to shoulder. The popping that followed was just another testament to her chaotic lifestyle that was slowly, but surely wearing on her.

_Uhh, I really should get going._

Turning away from her reflection, Chloe exited the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Her trained eyes found Nathan on the bed and Chloe's unexpected delight, Nathan was waking up.

"Hey."

She tipped her head at him in greeting.

"Hey yourself."

Nathan garbled, sitting up and wiping the sleep from his eyes. He swung his legs over the the edge of the mattress and watched Chloe approach him. When she was standing directly in front of him, he offered her a sleepy smile.

"What time is it?"

"Late. We sorta slept through all our classes."

Nathan shrugged, not terribly worried about it.

"You needed the rest and quite frankly, so did I."

Chloe placed her hands Nathan's shoulders to steady herself. Smirking faintly, she lowered her mouth until it was hovering over Nathan's. Picking up on what she wanted him to do, Nathan eased forward and claimed Chloe's mouth with his own and naturally reached out to trail his fingers down Chloe's sides.

_Gotta make it look good, otherwise he'll get suspicious._

Is what Chloe told herself but she wasn't so sure who she was trying to convince. Nathan or herself? Chloe couldn't tell anymore and that wasn't exactly a good thing.

"Are you still planning on stopping by my place for dinner tonight?"

Chloe asked against his lips, allowing Nathan to pull her down onto his lap.

"Sure. What time you want me to be there?"

Chloe started a light trail of pepper kisses around Nathan's neck and gradually worked her way up to his face.

"Can you swing by at 7:30? That's usually when mom puts food on the table."

Nathan waited for Chloe to stop kissing him on the face so he could nuzzle his cheek against the baby bump. Seeing him do this softened Chloe and she found herself smiling gently down at his tender affection towards their child. Then as if realizing she was being affected by it, she blinked rapidly and jerked her head to the side, centering herself.

_No, no. None of that Price. Focus on the task at hand. Gotta get home. My Nathan back home isn't this so it doesn't do me any good to get my hopes up._

"I can do that. Will you drive me to the school so I can get my car? My parents are probably starting to worry. Despite being jerks and overlooking my needs, they'll have the entire Arcadia Bay PD after me if I don't show up and pretend to exist."

Chloe frowned.

"Are they that bad? Surely they care about you, even if it's just a little? You're their heir to the Prescott Empire. That's gotta count for something, right?"

That was the wrong thing to say, evidently. Getting a mean look on his face, Nathan's features hardened and he stopped snuggling the baby bump, no longer in the mood to be playful. Sighing nosily, Nathan let go of Chloe, helped her up then broke away from her so he could gather up his clothes.

"Uhh, yeah _? You would know_."

He muttered, his tone sharpening out of no where.

"What, did you forget the biggest, darkest secret of my family? And how I told you that night of Max's accident while balling my eyes out how my father molested me? Beat me when I tried to escape and locked me in a shed for weeks with only a small hole as my only form of light and that he would come in and force me to eat and drink so the authorities wouldn't suspect anything?!"

Chloe's eyes widened and she was pretty sure she deadpanned, staring at him as if it was fresh news to her.

"Or and how my mother turned her cheek for nine years of my messed up life and pretend like everything was normal?! Oh yeah Chloe. They-"

Nathan dropped his clothes, whirled around, faced Chloe and made quotations with his fingers.

"Really "worry" that their precious heir hasn't come home yet and can't wait to throw their arms around me and tell me how much they care about me and are sorry for the crap they did to me!"

Chloe held up her hands and frantically gestured at Nathan to calm down. The crazy look in his eyes was starting to surface and for the first time in her life, Chloe wasn't scared of what Nathan would do to her or himself. She was truly broken for him. She had no idea that's what he meant last night when he told her about their first time and how Max's accident brought them together.

"Nathan I didn't mean to offend you or say something stupid. I-I'm not myself this week. A lot's been going on and I-"

Chloe bit her lower lip and gave Nathan a desperate look, unaware that her fear of him was already making him feel guilty.

"I'm not really up to par on what's what and struggling to get myself together so please, overlook what I just said. Let's not talk about it, it's not cool and I'm a jerk for saying what I did. I get it, your parents are horrible people and they hurt you and even though I might of said this to you in the past, allow me to say it now?"

Chloe gestured between them but she still looked shaken and unsure of what to do.

"I'm sorry. They won't say it and probably never will. So I'll say it for them. They don't deserve you if that's how they're going to treat you. But I accept you and I won't ever do something like that you. Not now, not ever, okay? You're safe with me. Am I safe with you?"

Chloe hated to ask the obvious but in her delicate condition, Nathan raging after her wouldn't be good for her, their child or for Nathan's mental stability. Chloe was sure of it.

"Chloe."

To Chloe's surprise and astonishment, Nathan lost his anger and instantly reverted back to his calm, collected self. It was intense and made Chloe wonder if she really did had that much influence over him.

"I'm sorry. That was..."

Trailing off Nathan sighed and shrugged, knowing he didn't have a valid excuse to blow up at Chloe.

"Unprofessional of me and I scared you didn't I?"

Swallowing a large lump in her throat, Chloe nodded very slowly as a response to the question. Frowning, Nathan ran a hand through his unkempt hair.

"Sorry babe. I'm working on it. The anger classes and meds help but knowing you care and accept me, does more for me than talk sessions and medication ever will.

Ignoring his clothes for the moment, Nathan went over to Chloe and cupped her shoulders, glad to see she was starting to look less frightened and more optimistic.

"So is this a date? Me coming over to your house and making things more official with your parents? It'll be our first date, if that's the case."

Chloe hesitated and Nathan observed a soft blush crawling up Chloe's neck.

"I thought you said we didn't have to date? That I already have you?"

Nathan had told Chloe they didn't need to date. Besides, they were well past that point as far as Chloe was concerned, but the giddiness Nathan felt from going over to Chloe's house for a date was encouraging for him.

"Yeah? I did say that."

Nathan smiled slightly and nodded his head gently in agreement.

"But I don't mind the idea of actually having one with you. If you want it, I want it. It's that simple."

Chloe paused, considered the notion then found herself smiling with him.

"A date it is. I'll drop you off at the school and see you tonight at 7:30."

Nathan smirked and leaned in at the same time as Chloe. They bumped their foreheads together and slanted their eyes half way shut, taking pleasure in the silence that stretched between them.

"Okay. Let me get a quick shower and we'll check out. And don't worry about the expenses. I'm paying for everything."

Chloe stepped away from Nathan and nodded, noticing a twinkle in the blue eyes that regarded with her with such warmth it that told Chloe just how much it meant to him that she agreed to the date. While Nathan showered, Chloe waited for him on the bed and occupied herself with texting people. Following his shower, Nathan got dressed, then left the room together and checked out of the hotel. Chloe drove Nathan to Blackwell so Nathan could get his truck. Chloe and Nathan went their separate ways in their own vehicles, both pleased with the events that had transpired. As Chloe neared her house and pulled the car in the driveway, her cell phone, which was on silent, vibrated, indicating she either had a notification for an app or a text message. Curious to see what it was, Chloe put the car in park, turned the ignition off and settled back in her seat. She took off her seat belt and shifted around until she was comfortable, then she brought the smartphone out of her pocket to inspect. What she saw on the locked screen was a text message from an unknown sender. The words she read made Chloe gasp and her eyebrows arch up in alarm. Of course, where it was a longer thread, the lock screen only showed so much. Pressing her lips firmly together, Chloe moved her finger out to swipe across the screen so it would quickly unlock the smartphone. Once in, she tapped the message bubble icon. She found the unknown sender and pulled up the text message so she could continue reading.

 

* * *

 

**26% [][]**

**Unknown:** Hello Chloe, I have the answers you desire. Well... at least some of the answers you're looking for. Meet me at the lighthouse on October 11th at midnight. I'll explain everything to you there. BTW, if you're thinking about chickening out, I'd strongly advise against it. Time, as you should know by now, is in your hands and very dangerous if not used right. Actually, it's because you've used your power that we're both stuck in this mess. Come to the lighthouse and I'll fill you in on what I know. It should help and maybe the two of us can put our heads together and find a way out of this tormenting cycle.

From,

A Friend

08/05/2013 4:30 PM

* * *

 Chloe felt her heart pounding hard against her chest. She wasn't sure if she was panicking out of cornering or out of a thrill, like she was on the dangerous edge of learning something life changing.

* * *

 

**26% [][]**

**Chloe:** Who is this and how did you get my number?

08/05/2013 4:30 PM

 **Unknown:**  Oh I'm sorry, should it really matter? Never mind that I want to help stop the storm that's going to destroy our reality and possibly this one as well. Screw how I got this number just know, it wasn't easy and took a lot of digging and hacking around. I didn't think you'd be so hard to track down but what can I say? Different reality, different cell numbers. Go figure...

08/05/2013 4:30 PM

 **Chloe:**  Who ARE you? And what exactly do you mean by, "we're stuck in this mess"? Are you hinting what I think you're hinting? Are you like me too? Can you... control time?

08/05/2013 4:31 PM

 **Unknown:**  Are you blind Chloe? I said, meet me at the lighthouse on October 11th at midnight and I'll tell you everything. And this time, I'm going to make things right Chloe. For both of us. But we'll have to work together to make this idea I have work. So, come alone.

08/05/2013 4:31 PM

 **Chloe:**  Wait. How do I know you're telling me the truth and not leading me on some goose chase? Come on, give me a hint as to who you are. What you're saying is crazy but it's not crazy because I... well... er, well, let's just say if you're hinting what I think you are, you and I have something in common and I would like to think because of that, you won't think I'm crazy.

 **Unknown:** You want a hint? If I give one, will you come to the lighthouse at midnight on October 11th? As for crazy, I am the last person who can call you crazy without condemning myself to the same fate.

08/05/2013 4:31 PM

 **Chloe:** Yeah. A hint would be nice.

08/05/2013 4:32 PM

 **Unknown:**  -shrugs- Okay Chloe. Have it your way. Here's your hint: I'm into acting, lying and playing games. Even after spending so much time together, you still haven't figured out if I'm full of imagination or full of... I believe the word you used back then in our reality was "crap"? There. Is that enough to convince you I'm on your side and not leading you on? Because I'm still interested in knowing if you'll ever figure out which one.

08/05/2013 4:32 PM

* * *

 

Prior to reading the last text, Chloe's eyes went from squinted, to wide in matter of seconds and her mouth fell down in disbelief.

_No. It can't be?_

Chloe head slowly raised and she found herself staring off into the distance.

_How? How is that even possible? Every person I've met here is different and have a totally opposite personalities. But this text totally implies this person knows what's going on and what I can do. Is it... really her? Have I finally found Rachel?_

Chloe's world just stopped. For the longest time, she sat in the car, seat strapped on, eyes glued to the screen. Narrowing her eyes in deep thought, Chloe re-read the text conversation again and this time, there was burning in her chest, a recognition that only came from months of separation and confusion.

 _Dude. It_ **_has_ ** _t_ _o be her. But if these texts really_ **_are_ ** _from Rachel, this raises a whole other series of messed up questions. Like, how would Rachel know about my power? And what could she possibly have to say to me at midnight that would benefit us both? Note, she said "us", like she's directly involved with my problem._

Chloe's eyes darted to the left, right, then back to the windshield where she resumed staring at the scenery before her.

 _But that's so hella weird and if I'm gonna be honest about it, creepy. But what_ **_really_ ** _blows my mind is how Rachel is behaving like the Rachel from_ **_my_ ** _time. How is that even a possible for her?_

Chloe glanced down at the screen, scanning the contents of the text conversation.

_I know Courtney asked me to run the DJ booth at the Vortex Club on Friday but this is way more important. I'll get someone to cover for me. If all else fails, I'll order Victoria or Taylor to do it. I **am**  the President after all._

Chloe tucked the smartphone away, got out of the car, mentally shaking off the effects of what she had just read and stringed together a quick theory. If she was correct in assuming Rachel Amber was alive and well, she had every reason to meet with her at the lighthouse. If Chloe went and learned that the sender of the text was not Rachel, she could quickly rewind and get mad at herself for thinking she might of truly found her soulmate. For now, she would go into the house and inform her family that Nathan would be coming over for dinner later that evening. Chloe couldn't be sure how her parents or Max would react to her being pregnant and Nathan's intentions to be with her, but it was now or ever.

"I'm home!"

Chloe announced, hoping her voice was loud enough to be heard over the noise of the football game on the TV and her mother's phone call.

"Hey honey. Have a good day at school?"

Chloe walked into her father's open arms and hugged him close. She inhaled his scent and just took a few seconds to enjoy him in the moment. More than likely, she was going to have to sacrifice him to correct what happened to Max, so Chloe was going to absorb every bit of her time with William.

_Oh I had a good day all right... lounging around naked in a hotel room with Nathan under me. But... I better not tell dad that. He might flip out and I need him to be open to Nathan for tonight._

"Yeah. It was fine."

Chloe lied again and made no move to correct herself. At this point, she was almost as bad as Rachel.

"Hey um... is Max around? I wanted to take her out for a bit. I can do that, right?"

Chloe asked, stepping out of her father's loving embrace.

"Yes. She's outside in the yard, looking at some dead birds. As long as you use the family van and don't stay out too late, you can take her wherever you want to go. Just be very careful handling her. Honestly, it's best to let Max handle herself. She does like her independence. Looks like all those years living with us finally rubbed off on her, huh?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow, hung up on one part of her father's statement.

_Dead birds? Why would she be looking at that? Ominous much? First that text and now dead birds greet me when I get home? Dude... I'm not even gonna think about this with her or with Dad. That's just creepy._

Smiling, William glanced over his shoulder and into the living room where the the sliding door was. He and Chloe could see through it and spotted Max by the swing set.

"I'll go get her and load her up in the van for you if you like or do you want to do it together? It won't much matter to Max which ones of us helps her."

"So, I invited a boy over for dinner tonight. Is that okay? Please say yes, I already told him he could come."

Chloe changed the subject, needing to say what she had been holding back since she stepped through the door. William looked back around at Chloe and blinked, surprised to find that Chloe, his daughter was willingly bringing a boy home for dinner. For William, this was a fear more then a blessing.

"Uhh, sure honey. That will be fine. Does this boy have a name?"

Chloe wasn't ready to confess that just yet. Forcing a grin, she looped her arm with William's and gently dragged him towards the living room.

"Where's the fun in that Dad? I'll introduce him to you and mom tonight when he gets here. 'Kay?"

William nodded, showing that he understood but he couldn't help but wonder why Chloe wouldn't tell him. Then again, every since yesterday, Chloe had been acting off and at first, William blamed school and her duties with the Vortex Club. Now there was a boy involved. For William that helped explain some of Chloe's off behavior but not all of it.

"Max! You wanna go for a walk at the beach?"

Chloe let go of her father's arm and briskly sauntered over to Max. Hearing her voice brought a soft smile to Max's lips. Pressing on the control pad, Max moved her chair around until she was looking right at her.

"Hey Chloe and sure, I'd love to get out for a bit."

Putting on a brave smile, for her own sake more so than for Max, Chloe knelt down so she could hug Max around her half waist. Their contact was brief. Chloe held Max long enough for the embrace to be meaningful, which it was... she just didn't feel like getting emotional before Nathan showed up, on top of out of control hormones from her pregnancy.

"Great. I know I've been busy..."

Chloe rubbed her neck, her face apologetic.

"With school and Vortex Club but tonight, it's all about you and me."

Max sat there, patiently letting Chloe talk herself out of a guilt trip. To Max, it was so obvious what Chloe was doing but she wasn't going to let it show on her face. Sometimes, it was fun to sit there and just watch Chloe give out excuses to cover up the fact that she still felt awkward around her. Max wasn't dense. Everyone in their families life was radically changed the day of the accident. The Prices took it hard. William blamed himself, Joyce nearly drove herself ill with regrets and wishing she had gone with William instead of Max. Vanessa fell into a deep depression, Ryan had to get Vanessa out of her depression and back into cheerful spirits, only to turn around and slip into a deep sadness of his own. Not to mention while she was recovering, Max was a victim hearing both families argue over the phone and in person. Max frowned, remembering how bad they were for taking their frustrating out on each other and pointing fingers. Her parents stated on more then one occasion that they should of taken Max when they moved to Seattle. Every time her parents used that as their scapegoat, Joyce argued against the logic, emphasizing even if they had taken Max with them, car accidents can happen anywhere to anyone, at anytime. The list was endless for several months after event took place and the two teens suffered in their own ways. Max was quiet and reserved but Chloe? Chloe was so transparent about her guilt and sorrow, it was pathetic. Max saw the worst damage in her than the adults. On days like this where Chloe pretended to act okay for her and want to treat her like a "normal" kid, meant a lot to Max, even if Chloe was posing half the time.

"That sounds awesome. I would love to spend some time with you Chloe."

Chloe cracked a faint smile then glanced over her shoulder at William.

"Hey Dad, help me get Max in the van?"

William carefully situated Max in the van with Chloe, made sure she was comfortable, then turned to Chloe with a stern look on his face.

"Drive the speed limit and mind the weather. It's colder now and it tends to affect her quicker then it would you. Now..."

William handed Chloe the van keys and firmly gave Chloe's hand a squeeze.

"Be safe and come straight home when you're done."

Chloe nodded, not surprised that he was acting defensive about letting her, his own child, take Max out and far away from where it was secure for Max. Content with himself, William gave the girls one final caution. They were to come back before dinner was on the table, especially because Chloe had a boy coming over. Max wasn't surprised to learn this. Chloe was very popular at Blackwell and had many social groups who adored her. Max was convinced it was one of Chloe's followers or intermediate classmates worthy of her time. Chloe had made it pretty clear growing up that she was too good for the men of Arcadia Bay. Max didn't voice her excitement during the ride to the beach, but secretly, deep down. Max was was curious to meet the guy one had managed to change Chloe's mind. As much as Max wanted to make small talk, she resisted the urge. Chloe seemed lost in her own world anyway and since Max had to sit in the middle of the van, she couldn't turn her head to look out the window. Bored, Max didn't say anything, kept her eyes shut and listened to the car sounds and the Chloe's sighs every so often.

It was quiet on the beach. No one was around except the two teens who dared to take a stroll at sunset. On whim, Chloe looked away from Max and off into the distance. Chloe never noticed it before, but there was a marked off zone, forbidding entry right near the shoreline where several hump back whales rested on their sides or on the their backs. They were dead, basking in the sunlight. Until a Wildlife Officer came out with a disposal unit, the majestic creatures would remain as they were. Chloe frowned, bothered by the sight of it but as quickly as she examined the humpback whales, she lost interest and returned her attention to Max.

"It's nice to hang out with you again. You've been so busy with the Vortex Club and school, I rarely get to see you at home. You uh... tend to stay at the dorms, even on the weekends, so this is... nice."

Chloe felt awful hearing this news. What's worse, Chloe was sure she had done that to either avoid Max in general or to be with Nathan. Chloe couldn't prove either to herself where she jumped in after so many events had already transpired but given with how she was behaving with Nathan in secret, Chloe wouldn't be surprised if he alone, was one of the main reasons she wasn't home so much. That and they had a baby on the way and she hadn't told anyone expect certain students at school.

"I'm glad we're hanging out Max. No matter how busy I am, I'll always make time for my soulmate."

That was lie, Chloe knew it was a lie but that was what she ran with to make the guilt less painful.

Max wanted to turn her head and look at Chloe's face and smile whole heartedly. It was a shame her body was against her and she couldn't rotate her neck. Her head brace simply wouldn't allow it.

"It's cool. You still wrote me letters and on that cool parchment paper that I like so much, which I found adorable. It's so me and I love that you use it because you know me so well."

Chloe's eyes fell to the ground and her hand sub-conscious stroked her baby bump. Max didn't notice, she was nicely occupied with the scenery before her, very content with just being able to take in her surroundings.

"I was being pretentious. At the same time, I kinda like writing on it. Makes me think I'm like an English poet. I figured you deserved the best stationery out there Max."

Again, Chloe was just posing, trying to sound impressive and like she knew what she was doing. If she couldn't remember, she had to try and make it sound like she did to avoid awkward situations. This policy didn't just apply to Max, it pertained to everyone Chloe knew in her current reality.

Max cracked a faint smile.

"Isn't it funny how we live in the same house but you write to me, like I'm really at Seattle and we're hundreds of miles away?"

Chloe nodded slowly, a little impressed that she had enough sense to at least write and keep in touch as she hid from Max and ran from her responsibilities.

"You know, my other friends from Blackwell send me letters too, wishing me the best and wonder when I'll come back but..."

Max's voice dropped and her features saddened almost instantly.

"They're all just tying to avoid saying the inevitable. You know, I find the whole charade a little sad. Everyone, the students, the faculty and our parents even, all know I won't be going back to Blackwell for a very long time. If this damage to my body has its way, I may not be going back period."

Chloe didn't like the hidden meaning behind those words but instead of voicing her argument, she grit her jawline and continued to listen to Max talk.

"But I suppose it's easier for you to write then to come home and visit with me, face-to-face. You  _do_  tend to get really emotional when you're around me."

Chloe's whole body tensed. She couldn't counter Max, even if she thought she stood a chance. Just yesterday evening, she came home, saw her and had a break down, right there in the hallway while their parents cooked dinner. Apparently, Chloe was known to do these things and that somehow made her talk with Max that day, even more intense. In Chloe's mind, crying over Max every time or every other time they were together meant the guilt was eating her alive. Now that she was actively aware of everything, Chloe wanted to mind how she behaved with Max. As far as Chloe was concerned, she was done crying, she was doing regretting. One way or another, she would fix and undo the damage she made, even if it meant leaving behind something precious inside of her. Even if it also meant leaving behind the boy her body desired like no other. Max wasn't more important than her child, Nathan or her father. Yet Chloe knew if she was going to fix everything, she'd have to make sacrifices. At this point, she would give anything to return to the reality she as from, loose her father and go back to being Nathan's enemy. Anything would be better then having to live everyday of her life knowing that she was the reason Max was missing her legs, one arm and was confined to a chair. Chloe was convinced of that but if that was true, why did her heart ache at the thought of letting Nathan and their child go?

"You uh, probably wanted to avoid awkward conversations like this, right?"

Frowning, Chloe allowed herself to relax. Without looking at Max, she nodded briefly, eyes fixated on the lifeguard tower a little ways up from where they were.

"Yeah. It's hard to see you like this Max. I wish I could smile and be braver for you, for us... but I can't."

"The worst thing you can do at this point is treat me like a baby.  _Please_ don't do that. I mean, you haven't so far I'm just saying. When my parents were in, they pampered me and just... ugh, it was annoying. Joyce is bad for it too. William backed off when I told how it makes me feel but I can tell it's killing him to not run to my every time I look unhappy, uncomfortable or had a bad day. Health wise I mean. Between you and William, I don't know who's worse for the blame game."

Chloe smiled, not surprised her father felt the same way about Max's situation.

"He's a good father to us, huh?"

Max laughed. It was weak, barely even noticeable. Chloe literally had to strain her ears to hear it.

"Yes, he totally is. Hey, um Chloe? Can we stop?"

Chloe stopped walking and watched Max use her fingers to direct the controls on the armrest. The chair curved in and with Chloe standing beside her, Max gazed gently at the sparkling water before them.

"This is seriously the best view of the sunset. Do you remember what photographers call this?"

Chloe bowed her head, averting her eyes from the radiant sky.

"They uh... call it the "The Golden Hour"."

Max grinned slightly.

"Aww, you really  _do_  pay attention to me when I ramble. If I wasn't down like this and had my other arm, I could at least take some amazing shots. Maybe of those beached whales. I know it would be morbid, but there is a sadness to them that I would love to capture in a photo to express the trauma of whatever happened here, you know?"

Max's eyes clouded over with sadness and her tone lost its optimism.

"I kind of know how they feel. At least I'm still alive here with you."

Chloe was standing beside Max but she couldn't bring herself to inch closer for moral support or reach over and give Max a gentle pat on the head. She wanted to in so many ways and in others, she dreaded touching Max. Not all the time, but sometimes when she got down on herself, like now, she couldn't handle it. In Chloe's mind, she had enough sense to know that if she touched Max and felt the nubs on what was left of her legs or felt the area where the sleeve of her shirt was limp and void of life, it would confirm the madness. It would mean that everything was real and if everything was real... her feelings for Nathan, were just as vivid and true. Not wanting to go there or feel the weight of her poor choices, Chloe gestured at the setting sunset.

"Yes and just because you're disabled doesn't mean you have to stop loving these things Max. I'll take pictures for you. I know if it wasn't for this... you'd be taking some amazing shots about now."

Max smiled at the offer but that was all she did. Chloe caught how Max's eyes brimmed with tears and she snapped her head forward once more, but little good it did her. She was starting to cry too.

"You're a real survivor, Max. I know you have to deal with so much. I wish I could be stronger for you. It should me in that chair, not you."

Max moved the chair around so she could look at Chloe. She couldn't wipe her tears away, so she had no choice but to let them fall.

"Chloe that's not fair. If you were in the chair, I'd just wish the same fate on myself. I don't want you to feel sorry for me, because I wouldn't want to feel sorry for you Chloe. Besides, I can pity myself all day long if I want to... along with my parents. Who for the record, still feel like crap for not being here when it happened."

Chloe sniffed and hastily rubbed the tears off her face and out of her eyes.

"I know Max. I know. What can I do to help?"

Max moved the back around to the position she had before. Fixing her angry gaze on the ocean, she angrily added,

"I'd like to talk about the accident without us loosing it. I have to put on a mask and act like I'm okay and everything's fine so our parents can rest easy at night."

Chloe glanced at Max and watched for her a long moment, wondering if she was going to have enough gall to stand there and listen to Max recap the scene.

"Are you okay to talk about the accident?"

"I'm okay if you're okay."

Forcing a grim nod, Chloe gestured for Max to continue.

"Go ahead Max. I'm listening."

"There's not much to say. When I came to, the doctors filled me in on what happened."

Chloe clenched her jawline, already fearing the worst.

"And?"

"Some jerk hit us in a SUV. On my side, not William's. He cut me off and I flew out the windshield and into a ditch. I personally remember most of it. I uh... saw everything in bullet time, then I felt my back snap and..."

Max closed her eyes, recalling exactly how she felt in that moment when she landed in the ditch.

"That was the last time I felt anything in my body. The truck tipped over and landed on my side... hence is why I don't have an arm anymore. It was way too damaged to be saved."

"What about your-"

Max chuckled bitterly, already having a clue as to what Chloe was trying to piece together.

"I had legs up until two months ago. They had to be removed, there was no blood flow and my muscles were slowly decaying from within. Courtesy of a nasty infection I got from the wreck. Joyce and William did their best to treat it at home and I took all the medicine the doctors prescribed but, in the end, no one could save my legs. I uh, know you kept busy at school a lot during that time. I'm not upset that you're just now wondering about it, I figured when you came home and saw me legless for the first time, you were numb and waiting for the right moment to ask me about it. Anyway..."

Chloe bowed her head, deeply pained by hearing such news. For once, it was fresh, and she didn't have to act like she knew what was going on to keep a low profile.

"When I um... woke up at the hospital, you know, for the first time after the accident. I literally couldn't move a muscle, I couldn't feel period. It was scary and life changing."

That did Chloe in. Biting back another wave of tears, she rubbed them away before Max could notice.

"Wow… Max. I don't even know what to say to that."

Max frowned, hearing the clamping in Chloe's voice. She was getting emotional again but this time, Max didn't mind as much. They were actually talking about it as opposed to building up to it.

"Don't say anything. I'm just happy I get to see you when you come home and that you write me letters when you can't come home. Honestly, I could have wound up vanishing out of the blue like that girl from Blackwell."

Instantly, Chloe knew who Max was referring to. Glancing at her, Chloe gently prompted Max for more information.

"You mean Rachel Amber? When was the last time you talked to her? Do you remember?"

Max made a dissatisfied clicking with her tongue in her mouth.

"Uhh, that's your friend zone not mine."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I never got the chance to meet her when she transferred to Blackwell. I had my accident before classes started that semester and was bound to a hospital bed for months. You on the other hand, met her and started hanging out with the Vortex Club."

At a loss for words and no longer in the mood to cover herself, Chloe said something to steer the conversation away from Rachel and school related themes.

"This is such a different world than when we were kids, isn't?"

Max raised an eyebrow, rolling the concept around in her mind a bit, really comparing and contrasting their youth to their present.

"Yeah, it is. After that weird snow shower and eclipse, it's more like the end of the world."

Yet another statement that justified those strange text messages from earlier. The supposed "Rachel Amber" in question mentioned that the current timeline was possibly in danger of getting a storm but Chloe nicely chose not to believe that part. Hearing Max loosely say something identical made the hair stand up on the back of her neck.

" _Please_  don't say stuff like that Max. It's  _so_  not cool."

"I'm not trying to bum you out."

Max gently argued.

"It just seems like Arcadia Bay is having a melt down."

"I know know things seem out of control, but..."

Chloe trailed off, struggling to find the right words to say.

"As long as we're together, I don't feel afraid."

"Aww that's so sweet. You know Chloe, being able to talk about this stuff really helped me. Being able to hang out with you like this makes me feel like we're kids again. Like it's safe and okay."

Chloe rubbed at her arm, feeling another pang of guilt swell in her chest. She had ruined their childhood with one choice and made everything unsafe in the name of that choice. If and when Chloe could figure a way out, she vowed right there in her mind, standing beside Max, that she would do it and give Max her freedom back.

"Oh and Chloe, thanks for taking the time to come out and be with me. You're doing awesome. I know it's hard for you to look at me without getting tore up on the inside."

Chloe stopped grazing her arm, inched close to Max's chair and gently placed her hand over Max's strapped down one.

"I'm glad you think so Max. Hey... can I tell you something? Promise me, you won't say anything? Girl code Max. It's that top secret."

Max's hand tried to tense under Chloe's so she could feel Max's response. As usual, her hand lost motivation and laid still, minus her finger tips which could function normally. Annoyed at her inability to communicate through body language, Max voiced her answer.

"Sure thing Chloe. Whatever you're going to tell me, I promise not to breathe a word to anybody."

Glad that she had built up enough courage to confess her precious secret to Max, Chloe confidently dipped her head and gently moved her mouth to press against Max's ear. She softly whispered the exciting news about the baby and that Nathan was the father. She also admitted that Nathan was the boy she had invited over to dinner, so they could tell her parents together. Chloe snorted, seeing that Max hadn't paused for any breath as she said these things. Just because Chloe was feeling a little better about their situation and wanted to mess with Max, she leaned back in by her ear and softly explained the real reason why she went back to the school last night and where she and Nathan ended up, not even 25 hours ago, in a snazzy hotel room. Max's eyes darted to the side where Chloe's face was and Chloe eased back so she could indulge in the sheer look of horror mixed with shock was priceless on Max's face.

"So Max, tell me. Are you excited to be a aunt?"

Chloe asked, tilting her head to Max. Her name and "aunt" in the same sentence must of tied everything together for Max because Chloe saw Max's eyes grow like saucers as she silently mouthed the word,

"Aunt?"

For once, Max wished she could move her head so she could shake it in disbelief.

"You want me to be the aunt of your child?"

She asked, finding her voice.

Chloe crossed her arms, suddenly feeling defensive.

"Uh, yeah? Who else would I ask? Rachel isn't here and even if she was, I'd still want you to have first dibs. You were first, after all. Rachel was second..."

Max blinked, realizing something very important at that moment.

"Your dad is going to  _murder_  Nathan."

Max muttered in a matter-of-fact tone, unable to keep the smile off her face. Backing her chair out, Max steered it around until she was facing Chloe.

"It takes two to make a baby Max. And honestly? It was just an accident. We were drunk, we were emotional and-"

The twinkle Chloe saw in Max's eyes made her stop in mid sentence. She knew that look on Max's face. Rolling her eyes, Chloe crossed her arms, waiting for Max's voice of reason to take over.

"Yeah the first time but from the sound of what you told me, you guys are really active with each other. Your dad is traditional. Old school. Marriage first then sex, then babies. You and Nathan clearly don't value your father's ways, so you know he's going to be ticked."

Chloe arched an eyebrow and lightly chuckled.

"I'm a free spirit Max. Is it really surprising that I lost my virginity and got knocked up?"

"I know, but still... it's  _because_ he knew that about you and your tendencies, he'd have higher expectations for you. Joyce too. You know as well as I do that they didn't approve of your deviant behavior. But... wow Chloe. You're pregnant and this is really happening."

Max's eyes trailed down to Chloe's lower abdomen with a newfound interest.

_It all makes sense now. Her sneaking out, always hanging out with the Vortex Club that Nathan is part of. That little gut she has going on down there that we all thought was a food baby is really a baby. Crap, my soulmate's pregnant and Nathan Prescott is the father? Ooooh yeah, William's temper is gong to hit the roof. If there's one family in this town he can't stand, it's the Prescotts. But just because he'll be in fit over it, doesn't mean I can't enjoy this. Wowser. Chloe's..._

Max's smile turned into a grin and Chloe noticed how her features gradually softened.

_Going to be a mom and called me the aunt. I wonder if I'll live long enough to see this little guy come out?_

"Since I know we may not get the chance at the house, can you do me a quick favor Chloe?"

Chloe tilted her head to the side.

"Sure Max. Anything for you. "

"Can you untie my hand and hold it over your baby bump? I know I can't feel anything but I still want to touch you and the little guy. May I?"

Chloe was touched that Max would want to do such a thing, even in her limited condition.

"Sure. Give me a second..."

It took Chloe a moment to get all the belts undone over Max's hand but once it as loose, she lifted it up and tenderly placed Max's under palm on her belly. She kept her hand over Max's and the two teens stood there, looking down at the baby bump in a comfortable silence.

"Is Nathan happy about the baby?"

Max raised her eyes to Chloe's face and studied her reaction to the question very closely.

"Oh yeah. He's hella excited to be a dad and even more so head over heels in love with me."

"Wow. He's got it that bad for you?"

Chloe's mouth twitched uncomfortably thinking about his confession.

"Yeah. He's pretty wrapped up in me. But listen, why don't we head back now? It's getting kinda cold and dad did say not to have you out here too long."

"Yeah."

Max mumbled, hating that Chloe was going to have to strap her hand back down again and take their moment away.

"I know. I don't say anything okay? I'll let you and Nathan handle this. I mean, what's the worse that could happen?"

 

* * *

 

Dinner that night proved to be nearly disastrous. The second William opened the door and saw Nathan standing on the other side with flowers and a cautious smile, he shut down. Whatever it was Chloe had with Nathan, William wanted it to end. Of course, William did not voice his feelings about having a Prescott in his home. No, no. He waited until everyone, including Max, was comfortable at the dinner table. Joyce and Max were not blind. They saw the rage in William's calm eyes and all of it was directed at Nathan. Nathan himself could feel William's disapproval piercing him like a stake but for the sake of Chloe, he continued to be polite. Spoke when spoken to and made no moves on Chloe whatsoever. Chloe was sitting beside him and that alone tempted him but this was William Price they were trying to impress. Nathan didn't know much about Chloe's parents. In fact, Chloe spoke rarely of her parents when they were together. He knew basic things. Like Joyce was the town's mother and friendly waitress at the Two Whales Diner and William worked at the local car garage with David Madsen, a retired veteran from the war and William's boss. Other then that, Nathan didn't have much to go on. After everyone had ate to their fill, William put Chloe on the spot, nicely demanding to know what she saw in Nathan. The jab was low, borderline petty but William wasn't thinking about playing fair. He wanted Nathan out of his house as soon as possible but before Nathan left, William wanted to know why Chloe was so smitten with him. From there, a can of worms opened and it didn't take long for the news about the baby to slip out of Chloe's mouth in the midst of the heated debate. Joyce wasn't too terribly surprised that Chloe was with child. She expected something like that to happen to her sooner or later, given with Chloe's behavior pattern in the past. Joyce also suspected Chloe had been pregnant all along, she just didn't say anything and gave Chloe a chance to come to her and William about it. Max was wise and kept quiet during this time. She quietly observed with worried eyes that darted back and forth between the angry faces of William and Nathan, and couldn't help but wonder who was going to win. William or Nathan's love for Chloe.

"Mr. Price, I understand you don't approve of me being with your daughter but I love your daughter."

William frowned and looked at Chloe, questionably.

"Chloe, this boy says he loves you. Do you believe him? Do you feel the same way? Are you kids even aware of what love versus lust is?"

Chloe face palmed to hide her blush of embarrassment and sulked further down in her chair as a result.

_Oh man. This isn't going well for either of us. Max was right. Dad is hella ticked and I don't think Nathan is gonna get off any easier then I am._

" _Answer_ me Chloe!"

William demanded, allowing some edge to creep into his voice.

"Do  _you_  love him? Yes or no?"

Even though she had her head bowed and wasn't looking at them, she could feel everyone staring at her fairly hard, especially Nathan.

"I..."

Not impressed with her delay, William's fist slamming down beside his plate cut her off. Joyce, Max and Nathan all flinched at the shocking noise. Chloe was the only one who remained calm and unaffected by her father's rage.

"Of course you don't!"

He interjected, answering the question for her.

"You're too young to know what real love is. You're supposed to be studying at school to better yourself so you can have a successful future. But instead, you've blown your time with this misfit of society."

Nathan's head snapped up at the degrading accusation. As if sensing he was going to say something in his defense, William snapped a finger at him, silencing Nathan on the spot.

"Nathan your dad and I went to school together, okay? I may not know everything that goes on in your twisted family, but I, along with everyone in this town, know just enough. You're not an angel, don't pretend to be. Not in my house. You can deal your drugs in the shadows and pay people to be quiet all you want out there, but here, you can't sit there and expect me to believe that those days are behind you. You're a loose cannon with a bad rep. Spoiled too. I'm surprised someone hasn't killed you for the stuff you've pulled on campus."

Nathan clenched his fists and dug his nail deep into his flesh. He subtly did this as way to control himself, to help tame the vicious animal he knew he was capable of becoming in a blink of an eye.

"Chloe I am  _so_  disappointed in you."

William pressed on, setting his upset gaze back on her.

"Yeah? You've made that pretty clear this evening dad."

She muttered, glancing up at him with a hurt look on her face. William pretended like he didn't see it, much to everyone's regret.

"I can't believe this."

William stood up and stepped away from the began to pace madly in front of the fire place and partly into the living room.

"To think this whole time, you've been lying to us and... and..."

Letting out a frustrated cry, William whirled around and gestured angrily at where Nathan sat.

"Sleeping around with this no good for nothing trouble maker and scum of the earth!"

At that, Chloe's hand slowly came down over her face and she gave her father such a fierce glare, William caught his breath and found himself mute under Chloe's cold scrutiny.

"Okay. Let's get some things straight here. Dad. Mom. Max."

Chloe sternly addressed them. Easing forward, Chloe scooted her chair out, placed her hands on either side of her plate and stood up. Nathan watched her, surprised to see that she was going to actually speak out against her father.

"Nathan, like everyone on this God forsaken planet, has his demons he faces, lives with with and has to overcome. He struggles, despite being richer then all of us and most of the people in this town. He also has real fears and insecurities. Something you're not even trying to consider which is sad, because it was those very qualities that drew me to Nathan in the first place."

Chloe squared her shoulders, straightened her back and quietly stormed up to her father. She was almost as tall as him but not quite. She had to tip her head back slightly to establish eye contact and when she had his full undivided attention, William watched Chloe give him a look that was filled with pity and utter disappointment.

"Nathan is not trouble and he isn't scum. Some of his family, note I said some, not all, may be but he's just a victim of something very horrible. And no, before you or anyone else asks, I really don't feel like getting into that but know this much I do want you to know..."

Chloe reached out and gripped her father's hand and roughly forced it down to her baby bump.

"I made this thing that's growing inside of me with Nathan and I'm happy that he's here, attempting to make things right. This is going to be your grandchild whether you and mom like it or not. And FYI, I do know the difference between lust and love and what Nathan I have... isn't lust."

"Is that so?"

William growled, jerking his hand off Chloe's stomach as if the fabric of her shirt burnt him.

"Then prove it!"

He snapped, looking past Chloe's face and giving Nathan daggers who kindly tried his best not to return the gesture.

"If you love her, then marry her!"

Chloe blinked and arched an eyebrow, not expecting such a challenge to rise from her father.

"What?! Dad, no!"

Chloe thrusts her arms out in retaliation.

"That's so not fair! You can't just force Nathan to marry me. What is marriage going to prove?"

"Fair? How isn’t it fair, Chloe?"

William walked back over to the table and stood beside Joyce. Joyce, like Max, kept out of it and paid very close attention to what was being said. If needed, Joyce would step in and stop the feud but honestly, it was better to let everyone get out what they felt, verses pretending to act like nothing bothered them. Joyce wasn't thrilled to learn about the baby either but she knew life in the womb was pure and innocent. The baby had done nothing wrong. To Nathan's' credit, he was at their house and wanting to correct the wrong with Chloe. This impressed Joyce and helped the transition but she feared William was going to declare war on poor Nathan and if he took their disagreement that far, then she would stand up and pull William outside for a talk.

"You said you loved her. Chloe claimed what you two have isn't lust. All right, marry her. You want to prove to me you're worthy to be with my daughter? You want to impress me? You want to take responsibility for what you've so shamefully done? Then  _marry my daughter!_ "

Chloe shot her mother a desperate look. Joyce saw it and naturally, she reached out and placed her hand gingerly on William's arm.

"Honey, maybe you should reconsider what you're-"

Joyce was interrupted by Nathan's bold outburst and it nicely made everyone in the room tense all over.

"I'll do it."

Chloe slowly turned to Nathan and stared at him like someone had blown a hole right through his body.

"Wait. What the what? Nathan, are you crazy? You shouldn't have to be forced into marrying me just because my dad is upset that we did it backwards."

Nathan jutted out his lower chin, narrowed his eyes and quickly stood up from the table, fists still clenched and balled up at his sides.

"Force? Chloe who said anything about force? If that's what it's going to take to get your dad off our backs and accept that I meant every word of what I said tonight, then I'll do it. If marrying you is what it takes to show both of our fathers that this isn't some kind of fling of passion that was there the day we convinced the child and gone the next, then I'll do it."

Nathan's voice rose, almost to the point of shouting.

"If marrying you is what takes to keep you, the only person who's ever cared about me and loved me for me, I'll do it! If marrying you is what it takes to show our families that we can follow through with commit, then let's do it! I'm not losing you Chloe, I refuse! I love you and I'm going to marry you. This Friday night at the Vortex Club, I'll arrange for a priest to come and we'll legally sign the papers, confess our vows-"

"Confess? Vows? N-Nathan come on now, we don't have to prove anything to them."

Chloe didn't mean to cut Nathan off when he was in the middle of a wonderful persuasive speech but such words, made Chloe nervous and with good reason. Glancing over at her, Nathan nodding firmly then set his fiery gaze back on William's shocked face.

"Yes Chloe, we do. Your dad hates me, fine. He doesn't care for my family, that's okay. I don't much care for them either but I do care about you and I want to be on good ground with your parents before our kid gets here. Got it?"

Max smiled, rather impressed with Nathan's determination to keep Chloe in his life.

_Nathan's got serious balls to stand up to William. I actually want to see this work out. But Chloe..._

Max lost her smile when her eyes settled back on Chloe. She didn't look as eager like Nathan did. This didn't mean that Chloe didn't care but it might of meant Chloe was 100 percent in like Nathan was. Max couldn't tell for sure but after Nathan left and everyone calmed down, she would talk to Chloe in private about it.

_Chloe doesn't look happy about it. She's paler than usual and seems nervous. Hmm, I wonder why? At the beach acted happy but then again, I didn't come out and ask her how she really felt about commitment and being a partner and all._

Max couldn't help peek over at the Price's. Both adults were sober, expressions unsure and in complete awe at Nathan's proposal. Joyce was already sitting down but William had to retake his sit just to digest everything Nathan was agreeing to. Truly, when William posed the question, he did it as a test to show Chloe and his family that Nathan was just using Chloe and wouldn't follow through. Now he found himself eating his words because Nathan was making it painfully obvious that he cared about Chloe so much, he would commit to her. This Friday night at the school and for some reason, this bothered William. Not the teens getting married but Nathan's unwillingness to let his resolve go.

"Chloe I was really hoping to surprise you with this and brought it in case something like this happened. It's just a shame what I wanted to do, was ruined by all the arguing."

Chloe had a gut sinking feeling what Nathan was going to do.

"Nathan... what are you doing?"

Chloe whispered, her gaze softening instantly the moment their eyes met. Blocking out everything and everyone Nathan uncurled his fingers, reached in his left pocket and pulled out a tiny blue fleece textured box. In front of Chloe's parents and Max, Nathan proudly went over to where she was standing and knelt down on one knee. Chloe caught her breath and her heart fluttered happily. This both disgusted and pleased her. It was great her body was reacting accordingly it was Chloe herself who was struggling to make up her mind.

"You said you'd give me a answer in five months. Due to what's happened here to tonight, I would like an answer now. I think it would put a lot of this tension to rest if you told your family and told me what you're thinking and feeling."

Chloe blinked, swallowed a lump in throat and was seriously debating on rewinding time, all the way up to a an hour before Nathan was to show his face and find another way to break the baby news to her parents.

_No, no no. I can't. I..._

As Nathan was literally preparing to propose to Chloe and await her answer, Chloe made eye contact with Max. Max smiled, silently cheering for her to accept the offer. Part of Chloe really wanted to do that and live happily ever after but then, she remembered the texts from earlier this afternoon and how the sender warned Chloe the storm that was waiting for Chloe back in her time, was also going to come in the current time. That should of done Chloe in but what ultimately made her raise her arm and rewind time, was seeing Max in that chair, limbless and doing her best not to cry. Chloe couldn't be sure why Max was about to cry. It didn't matter. She was already crying for the both of them as she rewind time. She came out of it and glanced around her bedroom, knowing she had been in that very sport two hours prior to Nathan coming over. Bowing her head, Chloe reached for her smartphone in her back pocket. She didn't want to cancel the date Nathan was looking forward to but she couldn't bear to watch her father destroy him either... or fully accept the marriage proposal. Too much was at risk for her to get that rooted in the current time.

_Hopefully Nathan will be understanding. I'll have sex with him to make it up to him if I have to._

Using the back of her hand, Chloe brushed away the remainder of her tears and made sure to answer with a clear, sound voice so Nathan didn't suspect anything. As expected, Nathan wasn't thrilled to have their dinner date canceled but a few charming words here a few suggestions there and Nathan was fine again. With that headache behind her, Chloe went over to the bed and carefully laid down on her side. She was exhausted and for once, it wasn't because of her power. She was broken for Nathan, she was broken for Max but most importantly of all, Chloe was broken herself because she realized a disturbing truth about herself when Nathan proposed to her. Scared as she was, unsure of how to react and confusion aside, Chloe felt a deep longing to be with Nathan. More than just as his lover. Rolling onto her back, one of Chloe's hands went down to cradle her baby bump and the other went up to cover over her mouth as truth of her feelings rose to the surface. They were smothering her, literally forcing her to admit to herself what she had been denying for a while now. Releasing a slow, shaky breath, Chloe's eyes slowly raised to the ceiling of her bedroom and her mouth parted behind her hand in astonishment as she came terms with herself.

_I'm..._

Chloe shut her eyes and wasn't surprised to feel fresh, warm tears spill from the corner of her eyes and run down her flushed cheeks.

_In love with him. I love Nathan Prescott. Ohhh God, why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?_

Chloe's revelation was interrupted by her smartphone. It was on the wooden end table, vibrating , demanding to be answered. Grunting, Chloe glared at the smartphone again and if inanimate objects could cower, the smartphone would have grown a pair of legs and and ran, if only to escape the icy, blue eyes that threatened to dissolve its form, one atom at a time.

_So help me if that's Victoria or someone from the Vortex Club..._

Sighing loudly, Chloe reached over and swiped up the smartphone and saw that it was Nathan.

_Great. Like this is better. Sorry Nathan, I can't talk right now. Momma's gotta think._

Chloe ignored his call for the moment, needing to have some time for herself and sort through everything. She stood up and walked over to her window. Chloe knew what she wanted if and when she returned to her time. It was just a matter of getting herself there and finding Nathan. If she could help it, Chloe wanted to see if she could talk some sense into Nathan, possibly get him off the dark, jaded path he was on and show him another way. At this point, because of her strong feelings for him, Chloe was willing to offer herself as a way for Nathan to come out of his madness and became the Nathan she met and fell in love with in the current reality. It was a long shot, but it was doable. The Nathan she knew now was proof of that. Granted, it might cost Chloe somewhere or worse... someone but Chloe wanted to think helping Nathan would saves lives, not destroy more.

"If I'm gonna do this, I gotta get my hands on that photo Max gave me that day in my truck. It has to be somewhere in this house and I'm gonna find it."

Chloe glanced off and blinked, remembering something important.

"Ahh. I still need to investigate he lighthouse and the sender of those texts... if it's really Rachel, then I want to figure out what's going on there first before I do anything else."

Chloe muttered, walking back over to lay down on the bed. Folding one arm under the pillow, Chloe stretched her legs out and got comfortable. Her eyebrows knitted in concentration and she couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the week would have in store for her. Before Chloe could entertain such thoughts, she fell asleep. Her mother called for her to come down and eat but when all she got was silence as a response, Joyce assumed Chloe was deep in her studies and had her earplugs in or she was asleep. She went upstairs to check on her, just to see if Chloe was all right. She did knock, several times but only silence greeted Joyce.

"Chloe? Sweetie, are you all ri-"

Joyce stopped, hearing Chloe's deep breathing. Curious, Joyce quietly opened the door and poked her head in just as Chloe moaned in her sleep and snuggled her head deeper into the pillows.

"Mmm... five more minutes."

Came the groggy reply, followed by a another heavy exhale of breath. Grinning, Joyce went over to the bed and peered over Chloe's shoulder, right down at the small round bulge Chloe tried so very hard to conceal as mere weight she had gained from eating her cooking. Joyce stealthily reached down and rubbed the baby bump and as she did this, Joyce gave Chloe a doting kiss on the cheek.

"I don't know who your baby's daddy is but he better treat you and this little on right or I'll have something to say about it."

Joyce continued to stroke Chloe's tummy and watch as Chloe's shoulders slowly rose up and went back down and even how Chloe's face would scrunch in her sleep every so often.

"Hmm."

Joyce hummed softly, glancing back down at the the baby bump she was still petting.

"You're going through a awful lot to keep this quiet Chloe. I hope it's worth it because your father is not going to like this."

Joyce whispered. Content with sneaking in some bonding time with Chloe and her soon-to-be-grandchild, Joyce tucked the edges of the comforter around Chloe and stroked some of her loose bangs out of her face and off to the side.

"I wonder if it will be a boy or girl?"

Joyce asked this question to herself and made sure to speak softly so she wouldn't rouse Chloe or give her reason to suspect she knew about her little secret. Before taking her leave, Joyce went around the entire messy bedroom, turned off all the lights and made sure all the curtains were closed then she quietly exited the bedroom, allowing Chloe to rest in peace.

* * *

 

Friday came all too quickly for Chloe. She didn't cut class anymore with Nathan and didn't have sex with him either. She needed to focus on other things and sex, although very pleasing, was only a distraction for Chloe. Nathan understood that but that didn't stop him from pulling her into a dark corner in the hallway or getting lost in Samuel's closet to exchange a few make out sessions with her. Chloe didn't complain about those moments between them. Kissing she could do, sex was when it messed with her heart strings and made her want to fall deeper into his arms. There was one good thing about Chloe's week that worked out in her favor. She found the photo of her and Max when they were younger, posing for William in the kitchen in a forsaken photo album her mother had packed away for safekeeping. Chloe took the photo and put it in her jacket in a plastic cover to preserve its quality. No matter where Chloe went that week, she took that photo with her.

Come by Friday morning, Chloe was overwhelmed with all the things she needed to do as the president. During the day helping Courtney plan a dress code for the party, Taylor with refreshments and Victoria plan out the VIP events. All of this madness was going to take place in the Otter's lair where the heat infused pool was located. Their photography teacher, Mark Jefferson was going to announce the winner of the Everyday Hero Contest at midnight and was of the two adult chaperones attending the End Of The World party. Chloe did what as expected of her at the party. She socialized with the right people, made sure no one went against the teacher's rules, kept students who were not on the list out, things of this nature and repeated the cycle until 11:30 PM. As if expecting Chloe to back out of their little arranged meeting, the unknown sender messaged Chloe, wanting to know if she was still planning on meeting up at the lighthouse. Chloe glanced left, then right to make sure no one was looking at her then quickly typed a response back, stating that she was on her way and would be there shortly. Upon stepping outside into the cold, crisp air, Chloe walked right into the start of a light shower. The rain intensified as she drove herself to the lighthouse. Lighting cackled through out the sky and wind howled at alarming speed. There were many points when Chloe thought her car was going to tip over. These signs, indicated a storm was approaching. Fearing what she already knew to be true, Chloe pushed her speculations away and got out of the car. Lifting her arm, she squinted her eyes, wondering if her contact was even up at the top of the hill.

_I didn't come this far for nothing. I'm gonna go up there and check it out._

It was a steep climb and took a little effort to walk up the path to the lighthouse but Chloe eventually made it and what she found made all the blood drain from her face and eyes widen in shock. She was getting soaked but Chloe scarcely noticed how steeped she was from rain. The hurricane on the water that as forming off in the distance of the ocean nicely had her undivided attention.

"Holy crap! This is just like that vision I saw back in my time. But why would I have a vision for here but see it there?"

The longer Chloe stood on the hill and observed the madness from the storm, the more she began to panic and fear for her loved ones. Her heart ached terribly, her tears mixed in with the rain and no matter how much she wished what she was seeing and hearing would stop, the setting continued to play and torment her.

"My vision. It came true. But it came true  _here_. In this time, not mine. So does that mean that Nathan, Max, my parents... are going to-"

"Die? You got that right and it sucks, doesn't it Price? Seeing everything you've ever loved taken away in a blink of an eye?"

Hearing the familiar voice fill her ears, Chloe's eyes widened and she turned around so quick she almost made herself dizzy.

_Could it be...?_

Chloe cautiously turned away from the cliff's edge and as she walked towards the direction of the voice, the shadowed figured with their back pressed against the lighthouse's door wearing a black leather jacket with no hood eased off of the lighthouse's door and stepped into plain sight where Chloe could see her. Just like in the vision, Chloe saw the girl reach out and place her hand on her damp shoulder.

"Glad you could make it. I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up. Which would of been bad if you didn't because you're the only one who can fix this. Since you have the power at the moment..."

Chloe's eyes darted to the the nails of the girl, curious to see what color they were. They were painted black and when Chloe looked up to study the girl's face, the lighting flashed in the sky so intensely, it lit up the entire area, exposing the girl's face and her body. All Chloe needed to see, was the distinctive blue jay earning dangling from the left ear and instantly, Chloe's eyes fogged with tears.

"R-Rachel? Is that you?"

Lowering her hand, Rachel stood there, soaked in the rain and kept quiet for a long moment. Truly, Rachel had a lot to say and much to explain that would help Chloe understand why she was able to know what Chloe knew, among so many other things. All of which she needed to sum up in short amount time, preferably before the storm wiped out all of Arcadia Bay.

"What are you doing here? And where exactly is "here" anyway? I know we're at the lighthouse but it's not  _our_  lighthouse, so what is all this? Where are we? You said in your texts that you had answers so tell me! What in the world is going on?!"

Rachel remained silent and continued to survey Chloe with a pained expression, once again, mirroring the actions she displayed in Chloe's vision. Without meaning to, Chloe found herself saying the same phrases from her vision. She didn't think anything of it. She was so overcome with joy to be reunited with Rachel again, she could hardly keep the excitement out of her voice. Rachel looked rough. Her hair was smoothed back at the scalp, pinned up in slightly unkempt, messy ponytail, Her side strands were plastered to the side of her face due to the rain. She wasn't wearing any make-up, which was odd to Chloe. Normally, Rachel never went out without putting some kind of foundation on her face. The dark, noticeable rings under Rachel's eyes looked menacing against her pale skin and Chloe didn't care for it. Not to mention her clothes looked raggedy, like they had been slept in more than once. Wherever Rachel came in from, Chloe guessed it wasn't her house. Had it been so easy, Chloe would of gone over and found her the same day she came out of her time travel. Instead, she was told by everyone that Rachel was missing and had been for months. Glancing down at Rachel's right hand, Chloe saw what appeared to be hospital bracelet. Chloe didn't notice it before but now, she saw it clearly in the dark and couldn't help but wonder if Rachel had been sick this whole time.

"Is that where you've hiding? At a hospital?"

Instantly Rachel frowned and her face was full of regret, guilty looking almost and Chloe couldn't understand why Rachel would react to her questions in this manner or why she wasn't willing to speak to tell her what she knew.

"Rachel?"

Chloe echoed, urging her to say something.

"Not just  _any_  hospital. I um... checked myself into a mental ward, Chloe. Secretly, without letting my parents or my classmates know... without letting  _you_  know."

Chloe made a "O" shape with her mouth, took a defined step back and pointed a confused finger at the other teen.

"What? Is this some kind of sick joke because I'm not laughing."

Rachel held up her hands, spreading her fingers frantically.

"I can explain. Look I know this is going to sound crazy but what I'm about to tell you is sound and true. I went to the mental ward to test my insanity, to see if I had truly lost my mind but I'm not crazy and neither are you. But you feel like you're loosing it, right? Because of this? Because of that little gift in your hand there?"

Rachel pointed at the hand that contained Chloe's power. How Rachel could possibly know that hand was the ace, Chloe didn't know but she was gradually starting to overlook Rachel's reason to disappear and really focus in on what she was telling her.

"Chloe listen..."

Rachel wiped the buildup rain on her face away then pressed on and prayed that Chloe would believe her. She needed her to, Chloe just had to believe her. If she didn't, they were both lost and that wasn't something Rachel could accept. Not after all the trouble she went through to get herself mentally and emotionally prepared all this time while she was away.

"One day I'm happy being the class President for the Vortex Club and blazing with the gang at The Old Mill on the weekend. Then, out of the blue, I started to see things. Things that I had done with a strange power that allowed me control time. To make a really complicated story short, I had the same power you possessed at one point in my life. These visions of my past self haunted me so bad, I literally thought I was losing my mind so I..."

Chloe's finger lowered, and she stood there, amazed to learn that Rachel and her shared similar fates.

"I went to the mental ward and had them run several tests but not even the most advanced doctors could figure out what was going on with me. They couldn't link my visions to anything that made sense. So, while I was on lock down, in a white a jacket by choice... I kept seeing my past self-wrecking Arcadia Bay. People I loved, people I hated, people like my father... I screwed them all over. I even used it on you just to see what would happen between us if I choose a certain route. Sometimes, my choices with you were great, other times, I got us in trouble and had to rewind to fix the problems I caused."

Rachel's gaze lowered to the ground. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and kept her head bowed until she finished explaining.

"I eventually pushed myself to the point of exhaustion and due to that, Nathan Prescott was able to take advantage of me at a Vortex Club party from  _my_  reality. Not yours, or the one we're both trapped in now. From  _mine_. It's very key you understand the differences there."

Chloe opened her mouth, already lost but Rachel waved her hand, cutting her off.

"Don't got a lot of time, just try to keep up the best you can. Anyway, I thought Nathan took me to hospital because the room I was in was white and there were a lot of bright lights. In these past visions, I'm always seeing myself and the consequences of my wise and reckless choices. Sadly, that night at the Vortex Club party was my last... or so I thought. Nathan overdosed me Chloe, I physically  _died_ that night and I watched myself die when this specific vision came to me. It was... terrifying. Seeing what the drugs had done to me. I was..."

Rachel shook her head, tossing off thick droplets of rain in the process.

"Really out of it and for the record, Nathan didn't mean to overdose me. It was an accident but the bottom line is, he did and buried me in the junkyard under a sign. And then, as this vision ends, I see a surge of white, like it's traveling through time and space, seeking out something and then suddenly, I see you finding my body with Max and you guys were crying but just as I thought the worst was yet to come, I see the surge of white flash before my eyes and it enter your body."

Rachel raised her head and gazed deeply into Chloe's eyes.

"And then I saw you pulling into Blackwell's parking lot with posters, go into the girl's bathroom, Nathan and Max, watched Nathan shoot Max and you reach out, screaming her name and bam."

Rachel snapped her finger, creating a sharp popping sound.

"Just like that, you rewound time and were back in your truck. Finally, after months of seeing so many of these events in my head and mess with my stability to function, it stopped and when I came to my senses, I felt fine. I could walk, talk clearly and didn't feel crazy anymore. I learned from one of the nurses that took care of me that I had been out of it for four months in this reality that you created somehow. I don't why I'm here if I technically died in my reality, but what I do know, is I'm alive and in this reality, Nathan didn't drug me at that Vortex Club party like he did in  _mine_. Instead, he gave me a form to fill out and asked me to be the club's President. And so begins my theory to explain why this is happening."

Rachel gestured between the two of them, eyebrows knitting together in deep concentration.

"I believe that whatever gave us this power, chose to use me first and now has chosen you to inhabit due to my lack of control and getting myself killed. Why would it do that?"

Rachel shrugged.

"Beats me. But it stands to reason that we're the hosts for it and if we misuse the gift and die, the power moves onto someone else. Once the power enters that person, the old reality is forgotten and a new one takes it place. And you just so happened to be its next candidate. I say this with confidence because I, for whatever the reason I'm sure we'll never figure out, was allowed to see the error of my ways, the good choices I made and ultimately, my demise and then you becoming the next wielder of the power. What I can't put together yet is why I saw all of these past memories of my reality when I did. My guess is, as a host, we may be subject to forgetting we ever had the power if we push our limits, but remember having it if given enough time to heal, and recover. I strongly advise you to avoid doing what I did Chloe so you don't screw up and become a lost fragment in a timeline somewhere."

Rachel frowned and gave Chloe a pointed looked.

"Your fate may not be exactly like mine but I'm thinking, it's similar. I controlled time, now you control time. I could hop around through timelines at will, created problems for Arcadia Bay, for the people in the town and for us. So yeah, you might want to watch how often you use it or for what purpose. Then again this is only based on my theories if this stuff is true."

Rachel sighed and rubbed at her neck, weary of talking and ready to help Chloe end the madness.

"So. Tell me. Can you photo time jump too? I used to be able to do that."

"Yes I can. That's sorta how I wound up in this place."

Rachel cuffed Chloe's shoulder, proud to learn that she had gotten that far with her power too.

"Great. Get a photo that's closest to the time period you hopped from and do the opposite of what you did to correct the mistake you made. Because that storm on the coast, is a direct result of you screwing around with time. Trust me..."

Rachel let go of Chloe's shoulder and averted her eyes away from Chloe's.

"I would know. In my reality, before I made things right, I was so angry at my father and so angry at my life, I wanted to just drop a bomb on Arcadia Bay, and turn it to glass. Well, I got my wish and by the time I realized what I had done, it was too late. The only thing that brought you back from the dead, as well as everyone else, was me finding a photo I took on my phone and going back to a day before we met."

Rachel glanced back at Chloe, not surprised to find her gawking at her in disbelief.

"I... died in your reality?"

Rachel nodded and reached up to wipe more build up of rain off her face and out of her eyes.

"Yeah. You kinda, sorta got run over by a train because I was too dense to figure which wire to cut and-"

"A train killed me?"

"Uh-huh. You got your boot stuck in the tracks and I, like a fool, cut the wrong wire and..."

Rachel shuddered at the foul memory.

"It was a nasty way to go out. In front of me too. I couldn't rewind that much. The power was slowly starting to kill me so when I used it, I got massive nosebleeds and killer migraines. I couldn't stand to live with the side effects so I had to deal with the fact that I let my best friend get killed and the one time I needed to rewind and fix it, I simply couldn't."

Rachel threw her arms up in frustration, annoyed at herself.

" _My bad._  Losing you really hurt, but not as much as knowing it was because of me messing around with my power that caused your death. I became a alcoholic and stayed sauced a lot after that. Your death was that personal."

Chloe was disturbed. She stood there, blinking hard to clear her eyes of the stinging rain and physically struggled to keep a calm face. What Rachel was saying was mystical, hard to understand and at the same time, it was pointing her to answers that she longed to have.

"You know what? Screw it. Just come here babe. If anyone needs a hug right now, it's you."

Managing to crack a faint smile, Rachel stretched out both of her arms. The second the under palms of their hands pressed together and their fingers interlocked, Rachel opened her mouth and said Chloe's name so profoundly, it made Chloe's heart race and pound with excitement. Not because she foresaw their reunion, but because she understood the reason behind the vision and could enjoy Rachel now without wondering what happened to her.

"Chloe..."

Rachel stepped in at same time as Chloe and nuzzled her in greeting.

"I've missed you so much. I'm so sorry. Forgive me?"

Rachel half whispered, half sobbed.

"I brought this horrible fate on you. If I had been more responsible with my power, maybe it wouldn't of chosen you in my place. I screwed up bad and I really want to help you fix your reality, if you'll let me?"

Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Chloe laughed softly, despite that a terrible storm was making its way for the shoreline. Granted Chloe was going to use her power and go back in time but for the moment, she chose not to care about anything except the girl she had been searching so long for.

"Of course. Now shut up and let me be with you? We don't have a lot of time. Literally, we don't and just because I know where you are here, in this reality, doesn't help me for when I go back to my reality. You're still missing and I don't think you checked yourself into a loony house Rachel."

Before Rachel could say another word, Chloe nuzzled Rachel deeply, then she leaned and kissed Rachel on her wet cheek as her arms caved around Rachel's waist, just like before in her vision. Raising own arms up, Rachel hugged Chloe. Clinging to her out of habit and out of the need to feel her again. This time, when the girls decided to step back and gaze at each other, Rachel did not disappear. She remained as she was, sound and solid in Chloe's arms. Chloe chose to believe Rachel, just like Max had chosen to believe her about her power. Chloe was sure, everything she had suffered and seen clear up to the poor choices she had made so far, was real.

"This is my storm as much as it is yours Chloe. I'm ultimately responsible for the deaths that are going to take place here tonight."

When the teens turned their heads to gaze at the storm that was much closer to breaching the shoreline, Chloe knew what she had to do... even if it meant sacrificing Nathan, their child, her father and cut her chances in half of reuniting with Rachel in her time again, Chloe was determined to make things right again. Chloe kept that firmly cemented in back of her mind when she let go of Rachel and reached inside her coat's pocket to withdraw the photo of her and Max in the kitchen, posing for William.

"You know what Rachel? I don't even care anymore. I hate that this has happened, but there's still a chance we can stop it. All I gotta do..."

Rachel watched Chloe bring out the picture from her jacket's pocket and couldn't help but cock and eyebrow and smile.

"Is use this photo and go back and fix my mistake. But if I do this, what about you? Where are you going to wind up when this is all said and done?"

Rachel reached out and gently cupped Chloe's cheek with her hand. Using her thumb, she stroked Chloe's warm tears away but made no move to rub off her own.

"Sadly, that's something you're going to have to figure out when you get back to your reality. I hope I'm alive somewhere and if I'm not safe, all I can say is hurry and try really hard to find me. Use the information I've given you from this talk and see if that helps you and Max find a lead."

Nodding, Chloe turned her head and kissed the palm of Rachel's hand then she took Rachel's hand into her own and tugged her close. Rachel didn't complain. If felt nice to be babied by Chloe, despite the dangerous setting and standing out in the middle of a terrible thunderstorm.

"I promise, I'll save you Rachel."

Chloe moved the hand that the photo up to eye level so they both could see it.

"And when I find you, I'll make sure something like this doesn't happen again."

Rachel wrapped one arm around Chloe's waist, steadying herself.

"I believe you. To our future then."

Chloe narrowed her eyes, focusing super hard on the picture. It took her a few seconds, but eventually, she started to feel her environment shift out and tug her entire body into a thick void of white.

"And Chloe?"

Rachel's arm that was snaked Chloe's waist became transparent and her voice was but a mere whisper, gently echoing in Chloe's ears.

"I love you. I never got the chance to say it to you before... sorry it took me loosing you to realize just how much I truly cared about you."

Chloe opened her mouth to speak, but it was too late. Rachel, the lighthouse, the destructive happening to Arcadia Bay... was every so quickly fading out of sight and being replaced with the hue of blinding light.


	9. Episode 9: The Red Room 1 (W)

Chloe stood still and kept her eyes shut, not sure what to expect. The last thing she remembered was focusing on the photo of her and Max, hearing Rachel say that she loved her and feeling her fading arm around her waist, start to vanish into nothing, along with all her surroundings.

_Did... it work?_

Chloe asked a question she already knew the answer to. Of course, it worked. She wouldn't be standing still, in the warmth of a cozy kitchen with the aroma of pancake batter and eggs and hearing Max softly chatting it up with William, if her plan backfired. Which is exactly why she refused to look. She didn't want to see how it was going to end, even though Chloe already was prepared to watch her father walk out the front door and never come back.

"Chloe, sweetie. You can open your eyes now."

William grinned then turned to Max.

"I'm sorry if the flash scared you Max."

William shook the wet photo a few times, so it could dry. He glanced down at it and admired the instant photo between his fingers.

"This is a keeper. All right Chloe. Give me the thumbs up or the thumbs down."

Already Chloe could feel herself starting to lose it. Swallowing, Chloe tried to hide the breaking in her voice when she finally opened her eyes and looked right at her father's beaming face. Max stood off to the side, patiently waiting for Chloe to do her family photo tradition with William with a pleased smile on her face. Faking a cheek smile, Chloe thumbs down. Chloe did this, for two reasons. She was in disagreement with the photo William took because of the trouble the photo had put her and Max though. Second, she was about to lose her father a second time and that alone, was enough to give the photo a thumbs down. Dumbfounded at her response to the photo, Max and William exchanged a puzzled look, then set their gaze back on Chloe. Before either one of them could question her about why she disapproved of the photo, the phone in the hallway went off. William went over and placed the photo in Chloe's hand, politely excused himself and went to go see who was calling. Chloe knew who was calling and she turned around and walked into the living room and stopped in front of the fireplace, thinking if she separated herself from her father and from Max, maybe the emotional spike wouldn't be so bad. Wrong. It gradually increased with every word William spoke into phone to her mother.

"Hello? Hey honey. What? Oh, I didn't know you had to get groceries. Of course, I'll come pick you up."

William hung up with Joyce and patted his pockets, realizing his car keys weren't on him. He cursed out loud, and kept looking around for his keys.

"William! That's a dollar for the swear jar!"

Max called from the kitchen. William walked into the living room and replied, making sure his voice carried loud enough so Max could hear him.

"You mean Chloe's college fund!"

While William was busy scrambling around the house in search for his car keys, Chloe slowly raised the photo up, hovering it over the fireplace below.

"Ah-ha! You can't hide from me forever!"

Hearing William say that did it for Chloe. Tilting her head back, she did her best to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall at any moment and sub-consciously clutched at the photo of her and Max between her hands.

_I'm the worst. Nathan, the one boy I evidently came to love, is no more. I killed our child by coming back here and dad? I can't even bring myself to hug him one last time before he walks out that door forever. All because in the end, I can't put Max in that chair and live with the consequences of my actions. And Rachel... oh Rachel. I lost her, then found her only to possibly lose her again. I can't let this happen anymore... I just can't._

Chloe glanced down at the photo and without further delay, she dropped the photo into the flames below. With a heavy heart, Chloe turned away from the fireplace and slowly made her way back into the kitchen where Max was at.

"And no Chloe and Max wine-tasting session."

Max's laugher filled the small space, but it sounded slightly faded. Chloe didn't think anything of it, she just continued to approach Max quietly from behind, eyes glued to the floor.

"Mr. Price, I cross my heart and hope to die. We'll be good."

Turning to Max, William observed her from where he was standing by the door frame, proud to see that she was taking his scolding sincerely.

"I trust you Max. It's Chloe who needs to not blow it because tonight, your mother and Joyce promised to make us their world-famous salmon surprise with chocolate cake for desert. Max, you'll stay afterwards right? Chloe wants you to spend the night again. It's fine with me and Joyce if it's fine with you and your folks."

Max dropped the whisk in the mixing bowl and gave William two thumbs up.

"Of course! At this rate though, I'll never leave Chloe. You guys are like my second home and family at this point. Be safe William. Chloe and I will hold down the fort."

Max turned around and smiled at her soulmate.

"Won't we Chloe?"

Chloe didn't answer Max. She stopped kept her head bowed, hating how the heavy weight on her shoulders fell down on her chest and stayed there, mocking her with its presence. The second the door shut, Chloe couldn't help it. She burst out into tears and just stood there, grieving in a wretched silence over so many things. She mourned for her father who she literally re-sent to his death, her unborn child, Nathan and what they found in each other, Rachel's sorrow and all the events that she learned played a part in Rachel's realities with the power and most importantly, Max. Even though Max was fine now and awkwardly standing in front of trying to figure out what was wrong, Chloe cried over her the hardest.

"Hey Chloe. What's wrong? To be honest, you're acting really strange, like you're never going to see us again."

Chloe knew Max wouldn't understand what she was about to say, but she didn't care. She had to get some of the pressure out and risked hinting a little bit of her secret, but she said in such a discreet way, Max didn't suspect much and Chloe used Max's confusion to her advantage. Honestly, she just needed Max to listen, so she could attempt to feel about about what she had just done.

"Max. I'm so sorry. I tried to make things different for  _you_. For _us_. I..."

Trailing off, Chloe released a shaky sigh and wiped her tears away, thinking it might clear up the blurriness she was seeing. It didn't help. This told Chloe that time was rushing her forward.

"I'm sorry Max."

Max arched her neck back in shock, put off by the remark.

"I don't know what you're talking but, come on. Don't cry."

Max reached out and gently latched onto Chloe's forearms. She gave her a gentle shake, not enough to jar her, just enough to get her attention.

"You have made things different, like my whole life. You're my best friend."

Max tugged Chloe closer but Chloe surprised her by pulling away and looking down at the floor in defeat. Max pressed on, even though Chloe's behavior was bothering her, she pretended not to notice.

"I've got you and a great family, plus yours. What's to be sorry for? We'll be best friends forever."

Max cupped Chloe's chin and gently lifted it up. This tender action forced Chloe to look at Max. She was smiling and was so hopeful but all Chloe could do was sniff softly and quiet her sobbing.

"You're the one who always said when we grow up that we'd take over the world. Can't take over the world if you're crying and depressed like that."

Chloe wished that those words made her feel about everything but they didn't. They only upset her. Shaking her head, Chloe took Max's hands into her own and gave them a firm squeeze.

"Listen, whatever happens, I want you to be strong. I want us to be strong. Even if you feel like crap for not being there for me or if I feel like crap because I wasn't there for you. I will  _never_  abandon you Max."

Chloe was blinded by the hue of white light and she couldn't see Max's face anymore. Right as the void consumed them, Chloe pulled Max into a fierce hug and clung to her suddenly. Max gasped, not expecting it.

"I'll always have your back. Always. Even if my power fades away, we'll be together... forever."

Chloe couldn't feel Max or herself anymore. Everything went blank and just like that, she was spirited away back to what she was hoping, would be her original reality.

 

* * *

  **Future Photo:**  Chloe, her parents, Max and her parents are in the living room of the Price household. Chloe stands beside Max in the middle of the living room, facing the adults and expresses why she wants Max to live with her if Max's parents decide to move away.

 **Present Photo:**  Joyce and Chloe standing beside each other at William's funeral. A few weeks later, Max is sitting beside Chloe on the bed, telling Chloe's she's moving to Seattle by the end of the month.

 **Future Photo:**  Chloe a year or so later with Max and the Prices at a vacation resort. Joyce and William hold each other while watching Chloe put Max in a headlock. Max is laughing, has her arm raised up and she offers cotton candy to Chloe's open mouth so she can eat some of it.

 **Present Photo:**  Chloe a year or so later with blonde chopped hair, sitting down, travel bag strapped to her back. Prior to being found, Chloe goes to The Old Mill, sees Firewalk perform live with Rachel, unaware that the girl she's rocking out with is in fact, Rachel Amber and meets Rachel again the following day outside of the drama club and looks very surprised to bump into her.

 **Future Photo:**  William and Joyce leaning in and clinking glasses on their wedding anniversary.

 **Current Photo:**  David leaning into Joyce on their wedding day. That same day, Chloe and Rachel get together and go off to a quiet spot, stand on a hilltop side-by-side, in the setting sunlight and let loose to the music on their phones.

 **Future Photo:**  Max driving Chloe's brand new red truck from the car lot with William, for Max has her driving license at this point and together with William, they plan to surprise her at the house.

 **Current Photo:**  Chloe leaning over and glaring at a upset David as she prepares to stab into her 18th birthday cake. After the horrible event, Chloe storms out of the house, drives off in her truck and meets Rachel Amber at The Old Mill. With Frank between them, they get high together and drink themselves into a drunken stupor.

 **Future Photo:**  Nathan in the hotel room with Chloe on the bed, both dressed in their underwear. His head on her baby bump and nuzzling it with her sitting up, propped against the pillows and stroking a hand through his hair lovingly. She grins slightly, her expression warm and gentle.

 **Current Photo:**  Chloe in the girl's bathroom, behind a the last stall, secretly watching as Max flees from the scene and leaves behind a surprised Nathan on the floor who cradles his private region.

 **Future Photo:**  Max in a wheelchair, in the Price's backyard, looking at the big doodle board she and Chloe sketched on when they were younger, with longing and despair on her face.

 **Current Photo:**  Prior to sneaking into Blackwell and obtaining files from Principal Well's office, Max returns home with Chloe and the following morning, Max helps Chloe take the big doodle board upstairs to Chloe's room so they can pin clues on it and discuss what all they know and possible leads to help them find Rachel.

 

 

* * *

   **Arcadia Bay - 2013**

* * *

 

  **In my mind**

**In a future five years from now**

**I'm one hundred and twenty pounds**

**And I never get hungover**

 

_Mmm... where... am... I? Music? Is that... In My Mind playing? I love that song..._

 

**Because I will be the picture of discipline**

**Never minding what state I'm in**

**And I will be someone I admire**

**And it's funny how I imagined**

**That I would be that person now**

 

 

The music playing in the background, was indeed In My Mind, a song Chloe really liked and recognized right away. The music was loud enough enough to fill the room, but not so loud that it dulled out the night sounds or the soft singing of the insects. Groaning, Chloe's head sluggishly rolled from one shoulder to the other. Her atmosphere was gradually starting to catch up with her and things weren't so slow motion anymore but for whatever the reason, she couldn't really get herself moving. Struggling to open her eyes, Chloe tried to lift herself up but her body felt really heavy, almost as if she was being weighed down by something.

_Why do I feel so tired? Ugh, time travel probably but I dunno if that's right. This feels like a normal kinda tired, like I just got done doing a long day's worth of labor or something..._

"Wait, does this mean I fixed crap?! Why can't I just open my eyes, I want to know where I'm at and what happened!"

Chloe didn't mean to raise her voice but her surprise was expected and since her body wasn't exactly cooperating, the most Chloe felt justified at doing was vocalizing her frustration.

 

 

**But it does not seem to have happened**

**Maybe I've just forgotten how to see**

**That I am not exactly the person that I thought I'd be**

 

 

"Mmm. Chloe can you keep it down? I'm trying to sleep here... we had a big day yesterday and an even bigger one coming up. I have to go back to Backwell in a few hours, so could you stop moving around so much?"

Max's groggy voice filled Chloe's ears and suddenly, she was renewed with energy like she never felt before. Her eyes snapped wide open and Chloe discovered by she felt so smothered by heart and weighed down. Max was lounging lazily on top of her. This wasn't a half curl up into the side, throw the arm over the stomach lounge. No, no. This was full body coverage from head to toe. Max laid on top of Chloe, cheek pressed into her black yellow chick punk shirt, legs hovering over hers. Max's arms were cutely curled into her chest while Chloe's arms were wrapped around Max's waist. How they wound up like that wasn't important. The only thing Chloe cared about was that she had returned to her original reality and Max... was safe and not in wheelchair.

"Max! You're back!"

Chloe exclaimed, rolling them off the bed without warning. Max didn't care for the tackle or being flung off the bed, even if it was because Chloe got excited in heat of the moment. She groaned feeling her back hit the messy floor with a light thud and her head snap back. One would think, that would get her attention but Max didn't flinch or break her position. Hands sliding down Chloe's back, eyes still closed, Max laid there in silence and felt herself starting to drift off but then, Chloe started to give her pepper kisses, all over her freckled face. Max frowned, not in the mood for kisses or remotely doing anything that required her to use energy. Groaning, Max pathetically pawed at Chloe's face and was so focused on trying to get Chloe to stop, Max nicely forgot that she was no longer on a comfy mattress but a hard, wooden floor.

"So _help me_  if this is your new way of trying to show me affection. Geeze. We share one kiss after God knows how long and now you're all over me? What gives?"

Chloe lifted her lips off Max's forehead then pressed her warm cheek against Max's and gradually nuzzled her.

"Sorry. I'm just..."

Chloe clung at Max on impulse, causing her to gasp and her eyes to flutter open slightly.

"I'm just  _so_  glad you're here."

Sighing, Max stopped fighting Chloe and resorted to simply wrapping her arms around Chloe's waist. She tugged her down, seeking the warmth from Chloe's body.

"Are you high again or what?"

Before Chloe could come up with a genuine excuse to give Max that didn't involve crashing her brain with the events from the alternate reality, Max placed one finger on Chloe's lips, stopping Chloe from going on.

"Scratch that. I don't want to know. And as much as I enjoy your playful burst of energy and display of affection, can you wait a bit? I'm still tired, no thanks to your crazy idea yesterday."

Max cracked open one eye half way and leveled her sleepy gaze with the other teen on top of her.

"I know that probably put a damper in your advancements but can we play later? I really need to get some sleep in before class starts."

Chloe felt fresh tears sting her eyes and for once, she was okay with it. They fell and hit Max on the face. Ignoring them, Max closed her eye and without meaning to, yawned and started to drift off again.

"Sure Max. I'll do whatever you want."

"Mmm, good to know. Hey Chloe?"

Unable to resist her, Chloe lowered her head and nuzzled Max again.

"Yes?"

Arms firmly snaked around Chloe's waist, Max used Chloe as a support so she could ease up into the sitting position. Chloe watched Max let go of her and slothfully stand up on jelly legs. Max staggered then fell ungracefully onto the bed. She sighed and snuggled deeper into the pillows, content with herself.

"When we get up later, remind me to take a shower before I go back to school? We still smell like chlorine from the pool and I don't want anyone to suspect anything."

Chloe arched an eyebrow, stood up and faced the bed. She looked down at Max and rapidly blinked the remainder of tears from her eyes.

_Pool? What pool? Did we go swimming?_

Chloe put a hand on her waist and lifted her head just slightly. She stared off, wondering what Max could possibly mean.

_Where would we go swimming? Did we skinny dip or something? Dude, where and when did this happen?_

Chloe's eyebrows furrowed as she struggled to think of a location that they would visit to go swimming.

_Er, did we go into the Otter's lair and enjoy ourselves there? That's hella wicked and all but why would we risk getting caught by David in our birthday suits? And me not able to remember it? Tch. Figures. That's what I get for jumping around through time._

"Max, why were swimming?"

Chloe asked innocently, tilting her head to the side in wonder. Chloe's shoulders slumped down in defeat hearing Max's low moan, followed by a noticeable heavy breathing.

"Max, come on. Wake up. Tell me, where did we go swimming and why?"

Chloe made her way down onto the bed and anxiously snuggled up into Max. Chloe reached over and shook Max's shoulder, attempting to draw the other teen out of her slumber. She knew it was selfish of her to do, but Chloe was freaking out and needed closure, just to be safe. They were both in her bed, exhausted and had came home after swimming somewhere and all these events had Chloe worried.

"Mmm...did you already forget that we broke into the school to steal files on Nathan and Rachel?"

Chloe blinked her sleepy eyes and shook her head, needing more information.

"But why did we go take a dip in the water?"

Max didn't answer. Chloe assumed Max's silence, meant that they very well might of done something bold, such as skinny dipping. Max rolled a shoulder to release some of the tension she felt in the muscles then forced herself awake, but only just a little bit. Turning her head, she peered groggily up at Chloe, a little jarred by the intensity of her scrutiny and her need to have answers that late in the early in the morning.

"After we got what we needed, you were the one who said you wanted to go enjoy yourself in the Otter's lair. We went swimming for a while and talked about everything that was bothering us, the leads and our theories behind all of this crazy time crap, where we think Rachel is and Nathan is a suspect. Just lots of-"

Max got cut off by her own yawn. She had to shake her head to clear herself of the urge to go back to sleep and did her best to keep going.

"Stuff. You mentioned how you would never leave me again, for anything or anyone and if I'm going to be honest, that didn't make a lot of sense to me. I was going to ask you what you meant by it but then Skip, David and some other security guards entered the building. David was really mad and he told his men to split up. We hid until it was safe to bail and you told me to come here and crash at your house. We took another transportation bus, because David grounded you and had your key, but on the ride home you said something about getting your spare because you were fed up with waiting for David to return your driving privilege to you. That's what happened, in that order."

Chloe's blank stare confused Max. Raising a slow eyebrow, Max titled her head just enough to where you could tell and gave Chloe a sleepy, serious look.

"Geez Chloe. How could you forget about something that personal between us? Last night I became a Blackwell fugitive no thanks to you."

No longer in the mood to talk or remotely able to stay awake, Max faced forward and nestled her head back into the pillows.

"I hope you weren't screwing around with time while I was sleeping."

Now Chloe understood what had happened while she was playing catch up and felt much better about the outcome. Grinning slightly, Chloe lowered her head down and pressed her lips against Max's cheek. Max had already gone back to sleep and couldn't tell what Chloe was doing. That was okay, Chloe didn't particularly want Max to see her small break down. Chloe had done so much crying in such a short amount of time. These tears were much lighter and happier, all things considered.

_Not anymore. I'm so spaced out, but I'm back now and I'm not gonna do something that crazy ever again._

With this thought happily cemented in her mind, Chloe nuzzled Max goodnight, then settled down behind her. Chloe draped her arm over Max's side, gently pinned her down and pulled her closer. Her eyes fluttered shut and she let the soothing sound of Max's snoring lure her to sleep. Things finally felt normal and like it should. The only thing had to solve now, was finding Rachel and if possible, figure out a way to help Nathan. Even now in her own reality, Chloe's body still longed for Nathan. Every touch. Every kiss. It was all there, vivid and very much real to her. Chloe wasn't sure how she was going to deliver the news to Max about her experience in the alternate reality, but she would worry about that later. For right now, she wanted to hold Max and rest for a bit. She was going to need all the energy for tomorrow, especially if she and Max were going to dive right into the heart of their investigation.

 

* * *

  **Thursday, October 10th**

* * *

 

 

Chloe shuddered awake, sitting up with a little start, almost afraid to look around the room, fearing that what she had experienced with Max, was trickery of her mind. The sun peeked through the blinds as she clutched the covers to her chest and tried to calm down. It wasn't that she saw it every time she closed her eyes, but this was the fourth time she'd woken up from a nightmare over all the nonsense she saw in the alternate reality. It would take time to get over it, Chloe already knew this. But it still didn't help that she had freshly come out of time travel, not even eight hours and already she was having setbacks. Time was the one thing Chloe had going on for her and she felt horrible about how she had been using her power so far. In just half a week, she had saved Kate Marsh from dying, accidentally went back into her past, saw her father, saved him, only to turn around and kill him a second time. The storm didn't help. Even though Chloe corrected her mistake, technically, all the people dear to her and those she didn't even know, died that night when she was with Rachel at the lighthouse. Chloe was responsible for so many people deaths but she didn't try to think about it. She couldn't or she'd drive herself crazy with worry.

_Calm down. I'm home, in my time, with Max and I'm okay._

Chloe settled back down on bed. Beside her Max continued to sleep, completely oblivious to Chloe's distress. Running her hand through her hair, Chloe inhaled slowly through her nostrils, held it in, then released the pressure when she felt her thudding heartbeat slow down to its normal pace. Chloe quieted her labored breathing the best she could so she wouldn't disturb Max. From the sound of her gentle snoring, Max was still fast asleep. Chloe remained still, waiting to see if Max would wake up. After a long moment passed, Max eventually stirred a good twenty minutes later and rolled over. She extended her arm across Chloe and pulled her closer. Feeling her do this, Chloe rolled over and lazily snuggled her face into Max's short mane of hair.

_God I missed having her to myself like this._

Max's arm around held Chloe firmly in place and Max instinctively started to caress Chloe's back.

"I dunno what's got you so riled up, but it's okay Chloe."

Max murmured, giving Chloe another reassuring squeeze.

"I'm here. Try to go back to sleep. It's still dark out."

Chloe nodded her response and laid in Max's arms quietly, just letting the warmth from Max's body rush over her. Since coming out of time travel, Chloe hadn't experienced anything that made her feel cherished, safe and most importantly, loved. Max was able to do all of that by hugging her and it felt amazing. They laid there forever it seemed, listening to each other breath and the early morning noises of the house. Max snuggled closer and hid her face in Chloe's neck. Chloe ran her hands through Max's hair some more, finding that the action calmed her rattled nerves. Eventually, the teens inched their faces towards one another and their eyes met indefinitely. Max's eyes fluttered shut as Chloe eased forward and brushed her lips across Max's face and along her forehead. When Chloe grew wearing of doing that, she ebbed the tip of her nose against Max's then pecked it lovingly. Max's eyes blinked opened and she looked at Chloe, questionably.

 **_Man_ ** _she is acting extra clingy. I wonder why?_

That was Max's final thought before she felt herself fall back asleep. Chloe watched her nod off then pulled Max closer to herself. She couldn't help it. She just went from not being able to touch Max because of her crippled condition to being able to touch her without worry. When the they officially woke up twenty minutes later, they showered, got dressed, went downstairs and found some leftovers to snack on then finally returned to Chloe's room to eat and recap on their investigation. Max had at least a hour and a half before her morning class so she wound up staying with Chloe and going over their data in depth. Chloe forced herself to keep quiet about what she had done but decided it would be best to confess to Max what she did in the alternate reality. The problem was finding the right moment when to move away from their investigation and build up to the news. Maybe it was better for Max to never know but Chloe couldn't keep those scars hidden forever and she knew that Max, being the nosy type, would eventually figure out. Chloe reasoned it was better to come clean and just get it all out. For better or for worse.

"So far, the license plate ID we have, matches up with the car that David had a photo of in his files. I bet you if we can connect this vehicle here to the one in this photo over there, we might open a trail to another vital clue."

Chloe was sitting in her computer chair, quietly nibbling on her cherry pop tart. Her head was bowed in deep thought, eyes narrowed, expression deeply focused. She was paying attention to Max and wasn't paying attention to Max. Max caught on and stopped talking. She got off the bed, strode over to Chloe and stood directly in front of her. Arching an eyebrow, Max reached down and flicked the skin, right in the middle of Chloe's forehead. Feeling the sharp sting, Chloe winced and snapped her eyes up and if looks could kill, Max would have dropped dead. Chloe's body language was unexpected and Max wasn't sure how she should react to it.

"I was going to be creative and try to pry the answer out of you, but nevermind."

Max lifted her hands and took a defined step away from the computer chair and resumed her comfy spot on the bed.

"You clearly aren't listening and don't care about this investigation right now."

Annoyed that Max would even go there, Chloe tossed the pastry down into the overflowing trashcan near her foot and jerked out of the computer chair, startling Max. Without meaning to, Chloe let some information of the past reality slip out into the open. She was blinded by her hurt, personal regrets and surprisingly, her love for Nathan. Everything was hitting her and overwhelming her inwardly. Chloe didn't think about how Max would be affected by what she was about to say, all she knew was if she didn't let the pent up tension out, she was going to break something. Preferably a blunt object, not Max's face.

"You know what Max? Screw it! Okay?! I know you need me to focus but I'm kinda grieving over the fact that I killed my baby who I didn't even get the chance to meet. Oh yeah and the love of my life. The most insulting part is knowing how I let Rachel slip through my fingers. I mean for God's sake!"

Chloe thrust her arms at the air in frustration.

"She was  _right there!_  Standing in front of me and I let her go, why? Because I couldn't bear the thought of living without her? No, I wish. That should of be more than enough of a reason to stay in that reality but it was the fact that the storm came and killed everyone in the town, you included and I just couldn't handle that. I screwed up, Max!"

Max's jaw fell wide open. Chloe basically just admitted she had messed around with time, found Rachel Amber, the very girl they were risking their necks over, was responsible for the death of several and evidently, she had been a mother. To say Max didn't comprehend what Chloe had just said, would be irrational. Max clearly processed the words and understood that Chloe had done something while her back was turned. Truthfully, Max always assumed Chloe might want to experiment with her power and if she made a mistake somewhere, would simply do her best to fix it. Nowhere in Max's theories did she ever think Chloe would find someone to love or go so far as to get knocked up.

_Whoa. Whoooooa! Chloe was a mom?!_

Max glanced sharply in the opposite direction and stared hard at the wall with posters for a long moment, struggling to take everything in. The issue wasn't believing Chloe. The issue was accepting it and trying to not freak out about it.

_What the what? When? Where? How did this happen? Where was I? What was I doing?_

Panic began to settle in and Max's breathing subtly quickened. She was literally starting to hyperventilate but she tried hard to keep it hidden from Chloe's watchful eyes in the background.

 _So wait. Did_   _Chloe go to another time or make a new one?_

Max tore at her hair and groaned loudly.

_Hold on. If she made another reality, why would the storm still be a threat? That's so dumb and **so**  not fair. It sucks to know that even in another alternate reality, people died, I died, but Rachel Amber was alive? What are the flipping odds that I die in a alternate reality and Rachel was okay? Is this really happening right now?_

Max slowly turned her head and found Chloe's angry eyes. She flinched under the cold message Chloe's stiff frown, knitted brows and flushed face spoke. The girl wasn't even trying to deny anything or laugh it off and say it was just a joke to lighten the mood. No. If anything, Chloe appeared all the more angry and Max knew Chloe well enough to know that when she got in those kind of moods, it was serious. To Max's disappointment, Chloe didn't fill in the lines or provide more of an explanation for what she had just said. She stood there, gazing at Max and Max continued to sit on the bed, unable to do much of anything else. What could she do? What could she possibly say? In the end, neither teen spoke. They just stared at each other in a tense, uncomfortable silence. The only sounds that could be heard was their breathing and the some random birds chirping outside in the trees and a car driving down the road every so often. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Max opened her mouth and attempted to ignite a conversation.

"You…"

Max awkwardly trailed off and pointed a hesitant finger at Chloe's womb, then trailed her gradually widening eyes from Chloe's stomach all the way up to Chloe's face.

"Had a baby?"

Came the soft remark with a pinch of surprise.

"Yeah."

Chloe nodded once, firmly and bitterly.

"I did have a baby. And now, that baby is dead, gone, ceases to exists along with everyone else who was in that reality. Listen Max."

Chloe ran a hand through her hair and swallowed a hard lump in her throat and found she was fighting to keep the bite out of her tone and the breaking of her voice that could happen at any moment.

"I want to find Rachel. Believe me, I do. If only you knew half the crap I know, that Rachel revealed to me in the other reality, you'd be having an emotional break down too. And despite the investigation and the on pending doom that awaits us all on October 11th, I can't deal with this and what I'm feeling at the same time."

Chloe bowed her head and face palmed at her forehead, visibly shuddering.

"I just… can't. I thought I could."

Chloe raised her gaze a little but averted her eyes away from Max's traumatized face. Chloe felt awful for doing that to Max. Closing her eyes, Chloe glanced away and rubbed at neck guiltily.

_Way to go Price. You've messed that surprise up ten times over. Tch. That's. Just great._

Dropping her hand, Chloe shook her head slightly from side to side, struggling to find the right words to say.

"I thought if I told you, it would make what I'm feeling better. Lighter? More tolerable, maybe? But talking about it with you now, something that I corrected from my perspective a mere few hours ago, isn't going over so well so, let's not talk about that or Rachel. I need some time."

Chloe laughed, but it was strained and evil sounding. Max hugged herself in response to it, not sure how to feel about it.

"Ahh, I say I need time but time is what started all of this crap in the first place."

Max's breathing pattern had returned to normal but the anxiety was still there, deep in her chest. It threatened to surface again but for a different reason. Chloe was genuinely scaring Max. Max couldn't remember the last time she had seen Chloe so shook. Blinking unexpected tears out of her eyes, Chloe reached up with her hand and quickly wiped them away with a soft sigh.

"I mean, we need to talk about it. There's a hella lot more I want to tell you. About all the things I saw and did just not like. Not. Like. This."

Chloe turned away and moodily ambled over to her dresser. She grabbed at the edges of it and leaned in a little, needing to hold onto something that would anchor her. Max shot off the bed and carefully positioned herself in behind Chloe. Pressing her lips together, Max cautiously wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist and hugged Chloe to herself and refused to let Chloe go until she got more understanding on what was happening.

"Chloe. You have to let me in on what… whatever it is that you did or didn't do. I want to know so I can help."

Chloe knew it was selfish of her, but she tensed in Max's arms and refused to say anymore on the issue. Before she was so bent on talking about it but shockingly enough, her own emotions betrayed her. Chloe couldn't go there right now. She wasn't sure if she could before October 11th but one thing she did know for sure. She had two main objectives she wanted to resolve by October 11th. Finding Rachel and if possible, seeing Nathan again. At this point, just looking at him from a distance would pacify Chloe. However, there was something else Chloe needed to do. It was crucial, personal and the only way she knew how to express herself when she couldn't take it anymore. Bearing the revelation of the alternate reality and losing so much she had come to desire in such short periods of time, was a good enough reason for Chloe to leave the house and go to the junkyard. But she didn't want to go alone. Turning around in Max's arms, Chloe cupped Max's face with trembling hands.

"You want to help me, huh?"

Chloe whispered the words as a challenge, not for reassurance. Sensing that, Max's features softened seeing the weary, defeated expression forming on Chloe's face. Not wanting her to be sad or feel she couldn't rely on her for emotional support, Max raised her own hands and brought them down over Chloe's wrists.

"Yes. I want to help you, if you'll allow me to."

Chloe stared into Max's eyes, searching them for several seconds, then she blinked and just so happened to look in the direction of the clock on the wooden crate end table. Max blinked too and followed Chloe's gaze and she also saw what time it was but she didn't care.

"Forget about my morning class. If I miss it, I miss it. If I make it over in time, awesome. But this is more important to me then Mrs. Bryant's chemistry class."

That was all Chloe needed to hear. Nodding gently, Chloe moved her hands off Max's face and ran them down Max's arms once before stepping away from her.

"Then get your clothes and supplies together and meet me downstairs in ten. I want to go to the junkyard first, then if I feel like opening up, I will. If not, oh well but I'll try my best to get to you to Blackwell on time."

Chloe removed Max's hands from around her wrists and grimly exited the bedroom, not even bothering to wait for a response. Chloe knew she was grounded and couldn't drive the truck. David took her key with him. Too bad for David, Chloe knew had a spare key in the garage. It was buried deep in the box that was labeled, "Williams's Stuff", inside of the family photo of her parents. While Max got ready, Chloe went to the garage to retrieve the spare key. Getting the box down was slightly difficult because Chloe knew what she would see into the box but pushed through the unpleasant sensations and retrieved her spare key. By the time she stepped through the door and into the living room, Max was ready to go. She had her camera bag sloppily slung over her shoulder, dirty clothes in a plastic store bag in one hand and stood still by the front door, waiting for her to come closer. Without saying a word to her, Chloe escorted them outside and together with Max, Chloe drove off into the distance rather quickly. She didn't go so fast she'd risk getting caught by a police officer but she did drive a little over the speed limit for time's sake and because she was that desperate to release her frustration at the junkyard.

Max could safely say she expected to see Chloe go crazy on the inanimate objects and smash things until she felt better. However, Chloe contained herself and walked beside her in silence through the junkyard and her eyes darted all around the place, searching for something Max wasn't sure about. Near the front of the wooden boat, rested a wooden bat. Spotting it, Chloe dashed away from Max and went over to retrieve. When Chloe slowly pivoted around on her heel with the bat in a raised, threatening position, Max caught her breath and literally thought Chloe was going to attack her. As if knowing that was her exact thought, Chloe narrowed her eyes at Max but kept her distance from her as she circled around her, like a lurking vulture getting ready to pounce its prey.

"You said at the house that you wanted to help me…"

Chloe trailed off, stopped circling Max and made a beeline for a box of clutter that was sitting on a chair. Max stood still, refusing to move because she feared that Chloe might actually try and take a swing at her and also, to see what it was she was going to do next.

"There's nothing you can do to help me. But you can listen to me rant and go on about how I feel about everything I guess. I suppose that means, I gotta start from the beginning, right?"

Max opened her mouth and started to say something but Chloe waved a hand, cutting her off. She didn't want Max to talk, she just wanted her to stand there and listen.

"How do you help someone who can't even help themselves?"

Chloe glanced down at her hand that contained her time power and found herself glaring hatefully down at her hand.

"Despite having this power, I can't do crap. For whatever the reason, I was able go to our past, just by looking at a photo of us. Once there, I somehow managed to convince our parents to let you live with me and stay in Arcadia Bay when they moved to Seattle. Something truly wanted and was so happy to accomplish but then, when I came to, I was at Blackwell and it was there I discovered I was pregnant. Nathan took me home to see you and what do I find?"

Releasing a jarring, loud cry, Chloe struck the box of clutter off the chair and both girls watched it tumble on its side and release the clutter all over the ground.

"You in a flipping wheelchair! A wheelchair I put you in!"

Chloe slammed the bat down hard, right over a digital camera. Max knew it was just a object but seeing Chloe strike it with such force, with such fueled emotion made her cringe.

"Why didn't you just come out and say it to my face? Why did you sugar coat it? Why didn't you just tell me how you really felt?"

Max wasn't sure if it was wise to comment in the middle of Chloe's testimony but she did it anyway, thinking it might smooth the edges. She thought wrong.

"Say what… exactly? What did I do in that alternate reality that made you so upset?"

Chloe cried out again and hit the camera a second time, busting the outer casing to bits. Max winced deeply and made a pained expression, but only because she felt like Chloe wanted to hit her and all the strikes the camera received were meant for her.

"That you were _dying_  Max, that you really hated being robbed of your passion for photos and were confined to that life where someone had to wipe your butt and change you, day after day! Why couldn't you just hate me and blame for what had happened?! Why did you have to be so humble and kind to me?! Out of  _everything_  I lost in that alternate reality, that bothered me the most. I mean yeah, loosing the baby sucked but the baby came later. Your accident was first but what do you? You take it and act strong for us, never complain about your situation, but I could tell you wanted to so why didn't you?!"

Thrusting the bat down, Chloe lost her composure and snapped. She literally snapped and charged at Max. Max gasped and wanted to run away but her feet were glued to the ground and that gave Chloe all the time she needed to get over to Max and grab her roughly by the shoulders. Blinded by rage, Chloe dug her fingernails into Max's shoulders and grinned viciously, not even phased at how Max gazed up at her in fear and alarm.

"You know, I've never understood your hard-on for cameras Max. You took a million pictures of us when we were kids and I'm assuming you kept on taking pictures in the alternate reality before your accident too, but not one of them showed how you were going to be in that wheelchair and not one of them showed how you were going to die and leave me forever!"

Max struggled in Chloe's grip but she didn't try to escape. Her efforts weren't getting anywhere so she stopped and allowed Chloe to continue to walk her backwards throughout the junk yard. Chloe minded the obstacles and made sure she didn't push Max into a danger hazard but there was just something pleasing about towering over Max and allowing the other teen to see her out of control, out of line and out of her mind. Chloe knew that wasn't healthy of her to do deep down inside but she couldn't help it. In a sick twisted way, she was bullying Max to get her upset so Max in turn, might stand up to her and tell Chloe off. It wouldn't be under the same circumstances like in the alternate reality but it's the principal of the thing. She wanted Max to tell her how she felt, how she really viewed her and the only way that was going to happen was if there was a setting created to draw that part of Max out.

"And even if your injuries didn't come and take you away from me, I did because the  _storm_  still happened. So you know what?! Screw the power and screw you for not admitting to me how you truly felt back in that world! Why can't you just-"

Chloe stopped walking Max backwards when Max's lower body bumped into the front end of a rusted, beat down car. Chloe froze and she instantly let go of Max. Max reared back and landed on the front hood of the car with a painful thud. Shaking off the light daze of being dropped onto not so comfortable surface, Max eased off the hood then glanced over her shoulder and down at the vehicle. Max didn't realize that the very hood she was perched on, was the very car William was killed in. Chloe recognized it all too quickly and wished that she hadn't. For Chloe, seeing the car again after returning to her original reality, confirmed that things were indeed, back to normal but sadly, that also meant William wasn't in her life. Chloe knew that was going to happen the moment she reset everything. Just thinking about that, made Chloe lose the bravado she displayed just moments ago and it was replaced with a pathetic weakness that Chloe couldn't fight off, no matter how hard she tried.

"Dad…"

Hearing the broken sob fall from Chloe's lips, Max looked back around at Chloe and put two and two together. Ignoring her feelings of what Chloe had just done to her, Max slid off the hood of the car and slowly came to stand beside Chloe, unsure of what to do or what she say to her in that moment. Chloe kept standing there, unable to look away from the car in front of them. At one point, Chloe reached out and with trembling fingers and grazed the dents in the hood. So many memories flooded Chloe's mind. Every single one was of her and William and the more she saw flash before her eyes, the more she gritted her jawline and felt hot, angry tears build up in her squinted eyes. The very second Chloe teared up and Max saw the tears fall, she started to get emotional too and she actually attempted to reach out and comfort Chloe. Max touched her arm but Chloe nicely shrugged Max's hand off and without warning, shoved Max so hard out of the way, Max hit the floor. Chloe didn't do that to be cruel. She simply wanted Max out of the way so she didn't get hurt. Raising her head up, Max started to say Chloe's name and demand an explanation for the shove but the words died in her mouth witnessing her best friend raise balled up fists and slam them down on the hood. Chloe began to shake uncontrollably, her sobs racked her body and her tears came faster, blinding her vision completely. With a horrified look on her face, Max watched from her position on the ground Chloe tear into the hood. Chloe hit the hood several times, each strike more powerful than the last. Max actually saw Chloe's knuckles turn white because she was clenching them so hard and tiny trails of blood form around the fists and eventually, coat the knuckles. Chloe mentally tried to tell herself to stop hitting the car, that it was pointless and wouldn't bring her father back but at the same time, she brought Max to the junkyard to show her that part of herself, in hope that Max would look past her flaws, her unpredictable actions and be there for her. Chloe kept slamming her fists into the hood and wailed at the top of her lungs, needing to release it all. She didn't care what Max thought or if Max would leave. She was too overcome by her grief to really care. Chloe lamented over many people. Her father who she would never see again, the Nathan of the alternate reality and the Nathan of the current one that would never know her in that way, their child who would never be, for Rachel, who had yet to be found, for her poor mother who she worried and finally, for Max. Max who died in the alternate reality, Max who was her loyal companion and soulmate to the very end. Just because Chloe fixed everything, didn't mean she forgot everything. With that depressing fact cemented in her mind, Chloe let out one final groan before stumbling away from the hood and placing bloody, bruised hands on her face.

"Dad come back! You were going to be grandfather and I was going to be a mo… a mo-"

Chloe couldn't find it in herself to finish the sentence and her sobs were muffled by her hands and the tears kept coming, much to Chloe's disgust. Embarrassed that Max had to witness her break down, Chloe hit her knees then collapsed on her side and curled into a ball. She shook violently, feeling alone, abandoned, exposed and utterly fearful of what would happen next.

"Max, please comfort me!"

Max didn't hesitate at the offer. Coming to her senses and getting over the initial shock of watching Chloe explode, Max crawled over to Chloe, quickly nestled in behind her and caved her arms around Chloe's frail frame. Chloe was shaking so hard, she caused Max to tremble too. Max closed her eyes and increased her hold around Chloe. No sooner after she did this, Chloe shifted around in Max's arms and buried her face into the crook of Max's neck. Chloe tried to stop crying but only wound up releasing a combination of screaming and heavy whimpering. Max rested on hand on Chloe's lower back and the other on the back of her head. Max stroked Chloe's head and back, hoping the gesture would sooth her.

"Chloe."

Max whispered by Chloe's ear.

"I'm sorry I failed you. I'm sorry for everything I've done that would make you feel that way. I-"

Chloe sobbing Max's name cut Max off.

"Max. Don't leave me. You're all I have left. Please don't go away… don't leave. I need you in my life so don't die."

Max blinked the tears out of her eyes and stiffened hearing the desperation and the desire in Chloe's voice. It was so profound it made Max's face fall in despair and her heart ache, deep in the core of her chest.

"I'm not going anywhere. Just let it all out? Okay? Do whatever you need to do, I'll stay here with you until it's over."

Max mumbled, shutting her eyes. Max held Chloe, long into the day. It was a shame she didn't get to her morning class on time but Chloe was more important. After Chloe cried herself to sleep, Max moved them into the shack so they didn't get ate up by insects and so Chloe could be comfortable and rest easier. Max sat beside Chloe on the couch and allowed Chloe to use her lap as her pillow. So focused on Chloe was she, Max failed to notice how Nathan stepped into the shack and was heading straight for them.

"Hello Caulfield. You've been busy, haven't you? Poking your nose into things you shouldn't..."

Alarmed at the intrusion of his voice, Max jerked her head up and instinctively leaned over Chloe to protect her from Nathan. Chloe was so exhausted from her break down and in such a deep slumber, she didn't wake up.

"Nathan. What are you doing here?"

Nathan smirked and Max became afraid. Before she could anything, Nathan swiftly walked over with his arm raised and quickly stabbed Max in the neck with a needle than did the same to the unsuspecting Chloe. Chloe flinched in her sleep but she never woke up. Max on the other hand, collapsed on Chloe, powerless to stop her world from going black.

"Bringing Rachel some friends to pose with. That's what I'm doing."

Nathan's truck was parked besides Chloe's by the main entrance to American Rust. He single handedly dragged the girls from the shack to his truck, one at a time. If Mark found out that he was running his own Dark Room of sorts, without his permission, there would be consequences to pay but Nathan was so far gone mentally, he didn't fear anyone. Not even his mentor, Mark Jefferson. Once the girls were safely buckled in, Nathan backed the truck out, turned it around then drove off, setting a course for Pan Estates. It would be there, he would take his newest inspirations to his Red Room and see if they could compare to the lovely Rachel Amber. Who as as good as dead. He gave her too much of the drug. Didn't mean to, but what's done is done. The way Nathan saw it. If Rachel died, he would need to replace her. Nathan hated Max but liked her work and was curious to see if she could express herself in a photo and win his approval. Chloe? Chloe was a witness, someone who was there and Nathan didn't want to be sloppy. He took Chloe and as he drove, debated on what he would do to her. Would he add her to the gallery or would he find other uses for her? The possibilities were endless but Nathan would have to be careful and be sure to return Max to her dorm if he didn't want to have the campus security on his trail or Mark, for that matter. People would notice Max missing but Chloe wasn't very likely to be missed. Nathan grinned thinking about how far he had come since his Freshman year. He was no longer being bullied. He was the alpha bully. His family despised his existence and didn't want to get too close so he was able to do whatever he wanted just as long as he showed up at class every now and then.

"I wonder what my dad would say, if he truly knew what his son was doing right now."

Nathan glanced over at Chloe, who was buckled in next to him. Her head was resting against his shoulder and Max was passed out, head rested against the window. Nathan didn't think anything of it. Most subjects who are dosed that Nathan brought to Pan Estates in his truck, somehow wind up leaning against him. It was expected. What Nathan didn't see coming, was how his heart fluttered the moment Chloe snuggled closer and sub-consciously burrowed her cheek deeper into his shoulder. Nathan wanted to frown and shove her off and into Max but he found himself… content with what had happened. As twisted and messed up as Nathan was, even he could tell his reaction to Chloe's presence was unusual for him but rather than waste time trying to understand his misplaced emotions, he went with it and took it as a sign that Chloe Price, might become his next Rachel Amber. That of course, would depend on how good she was in bed. Rachel, even drugged, was very satisfying to sleep with. Chloe would be a new high for him and if she managed to keep his attention, Nathan would reconsider killing her off if he and only if he got bored of her company.


	10. Episode 10: The Red Room 2 (W)

**Friday, October 11th**

* * *

 

The early morning light that spilled through the blinds, bathed over the inhabitants on the queen-sized bed. Nathan was nestled comfortably on top of Chloe, savoring the feel of her soft skin pressed into his. As Nathan hungrily kissed in and around Chloe’s neck, Chloe gradually started to stir from her drugged slumber. The very second Chloe took a deep breath through her nostrils, everything felt wrong to her. Everything felt out of place. Chloe’s mind was very sluggish, and she couldn’t get herself to open her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to push through the heaviness her body was experiencing. Her insides were on fire, her skin was hot, and her face was flushed, clear down to her cleavage line. She heard herself panting and could feel something inside of her, moving and she didn’t like it. The more she tried to get away from that force forcing itself into her, the more pressure smothered her, forcing her to submit.

"Chloe you really are spectacular. If I had known you were going to be  _this_  good, I would've taken you instead of Rachel."

_Rachel…?_

Hearing her name, woke Chloe up. Not a lot but enough to where she could blink her eyes open. Chloe's vision was blurry for several seconds and her eyes zoomed in and out of focus until they stabilized. When it finally cleared up, Chloe caught her breath and her entire world stopped. It just stopped, and she found herself staring up into the face of the very person she wanted to see.

"Oh. Are you finally awake, Price? Hmm… guess I need to dose you again. Ahh wait, I can't. I'm out of drugs. Look like I need to call my dealer."

Chloe opened her mouth and tried to tell Nathan no, that what he was doing was not what she wanted, but all that came out was a weak whimper and a turning of her head. Nathan grinned and ever so carefully lowered his face down next to Chloe's. Using his cheek, he pressed it into Chloe's and forced her head to roll back to the position it had before. Nathan liked the idea of his victims looking up at him in fear as they came out of drugged state and slowly started to realize they weren’t safe. It gave him a high like no other. Chloe was a proud woman and rarely showed fear. To witness her in that moment, that pathetic and utterly hopeless to his touch, brought Nathan unspeakable joy.

"N-Nathan. Please. D-Don't do this."

Chloe stuttered through her syllables and she felt her eyes closing against her will. Effects of the drugs taking effect but despite her eyes being forced shut, Chloe continued to fight for control over her body, even though it was empty efforts. Chloe wanted to try. Not just for her own personal safety but also because she was misplaced, confused and wanted to know where Max was. Where they were in general. Nathan naked and on top of her wasn’t good and even if Chloe could come to her senses completely, she wasn't so sure she wanted to know why she and Nathan were joined together in a bed.

"Why should I stop when I'm having such a good time with you?"

Nathan suddenly claimed her lips with his own and kissed Chloe so hard, he intentionally caused her pain. Chloe groaned and surprised Nathan by raising her head off the pillow, weakly latching onto his face and returned the kiss, force and all. Nathan's lips parted slightly against Chloe's and his eyes widened for a solid second then reverted back to their usual state of rest. Chloe hated that her body was betraying her at such a crucial time of life and death, but she couldn't help it. She was weak, recovering from being drugged and with Nathan, her one weakness she had allowed to affect her senses. Nathan allowed Chloe to kiss him and waited to see what else she might do, despite knowing she was only partly conscious. What he experienced for the next hour or so, was nothing short of bliss. Chloe raptured under him several times and her cries of ecstasy drove him wild. Forget Rachel. Forget school and the Vortex Club party he was supposed to attend that night. Technically, Nathan needed to go to the Vortex Club party to retrieve Mark's latest target.

Victoria Chase. Her desperate advancements were laughable and did not attract Mark to her. Victoria's photography and her limber body? Absolutely. Nathan did like Victoria as a friend but his relationship with Mark and their twisted hobby, was more captivating. Which is exactly why he would go and steal her at midnight and bring her to Mark's Dark Room. Or would he? Being with Rachel was awesome. Banging Chloe was surprisingly satisfying. Having Victoria pose for him did have an appeal that made Nathan eager to experiment. Not in the bedroom, just with the camera. Nathan couldn't be sure speculating from a distance. The only way he'd know for sure is if he took Victoria for himself and had a quick session with her and then managed to return her to the bunker before Mark noticed.

"As much as I'm enjoying this high Price, it's time for me to dispose of my subjects before the bodies start to stink."

Chloe froze, mid arched off the bed, raised an eyebrow, irritated, and suddenly sober minded then she was earlier.

_Dispose? Bodies? Surely, he doesn't mean-_

Chloe lowered herself back down onto the mattress and gradually let go of Nathan's face. She stared at him with squinted eyes, struggling to discern if she had heard him correctly.

"B... Bodies?"

She quietly echoed, almost afraid to hear the answer. Grinning, Nathan pulled himself up and hopped off the bed, full of energy and ready to get to work.

"Coming around, are we? Well after such a wild dance, I guess the drugs wouldn't be that effective anymore, but don't worry, Chloe."

Nathan replied smoothly, running a hand through his messy hair.

"I made sure Max didn't suffer long."

At that, Chloe sat up on the bed best she could without falling over. She was severely light headed, dizzy and dangerous sick to her stomach, but her discomfort didn't matter. Max did. And if Nathan was telling her the truth, Max was no longer among the living and this broke Chloe's heart.

"N... Nathan, no... please tell you didn't-"

Nathan's dark laughter filled the room and Chloe cringed, finding it repulsive to listen to.

"Aww. What's this? Don't tell me you actually cared about the little geek?"

When Chloe tried to move she paused briefly, feeling like she was about to throw up at any second, but she eased forward anyway and did her best to keep her head up.

"Max... what did you do to her?"

Nathan turned away from Chloe and casually started to get dressed.

"Well. Originally, I was just going to snap a few pictures and take her back to Blackwell but she kept screwing up my shots. So after giving her chance after chance, I got mad and over dosed her on purpose."

Nathan slipped on his letterman jacket then turned around to face the wide eyed Chloe on the bed.

"See, over dosing Rachel was a mistake. I didn't mean to kill her but Max was completely on purpose. Blackwell won't miss a nobody like her. Now..."

Trailing off, Nathan went over to bed, leaned over and carefully gathered the naked rebel up into his arms. Chloe didn't even try to put up a fight. She didn't have the means to at the moment and Nathan knew this.

"Let's get you dressed, cleaned up and tied up. I can't have my newest muse trying to escape."

Chloe didn't like it. The Nathan she was engaging with. He wasn't the sweet, collected young man she had come to know in the alternate reality. She suffered in silence and watched through blurry eyes as he dressed her back in her clothes then finally put her in a elegant room and tied her down to a chair. Chloe's mind was so sluggish and she felt so awful but she reached a whole new level of discomfort when she happened to look over and see a silver cart with open albums on them and catch a glimpse of Max in a photo.

_Oh no. Is that... what I think it is?_

While Nathan continued to tie her down and secure the duck tape around her ankles, Chloe stretched her neck to the side to get a better glimpse at the photos. She had nothing better to do, so why not see what it was he had done to his friends or whoever else he had managed to kidnap? There were random pictures of Max, Rachel and oddly enough, Kate Marsh. Chloe assumed Kate's pictures were taken on the night of the Vortex party she attended and a viral video was uploaded to the web. But Kate wasn't Chloe's focus. Her soulmates were. The poses Max and Rachel were in, were very disturbing to Chloe, even from a recovering drugged view point. Rachel was in black shirt and blue shots in all her shots. Max was in her generic jeans and grey hoodie in all her shots and appeared just as doped up and semi-unconscious as Rachel. Their eyes were glazed over and their expression were haunting to look at it. Chloe's unshed tears finally spilled from the corner of her eyes and slid down her cheeks but she made no move to sniffle or make it obvious she was grieving over the loss of her best friends. She didn't want to and she also didn't want to Nathan to have the satisfaction of knowing she was wrecked.

_I hate looking at them like that. Rachel is so out of it and Max isn't much better. How can Nathan be this messed up? Why was I so selfish back then? If I hadn't brought Max to the junkyard, maybe she... maybe she'd-_

Chloe's thoughts were interrupted by Nathan's chuckle.

"There. That should hold you until I get back."

Chloe slowly craned her neck around and grit her jaw so hard, she physically hurt herself. Nathan blinked then smiled, pleased to have caught such a transition from Chloe.

"Oh Chloe. That look... you're realizing that Rachel and Max isn't here and you're pissed right? Ohh, hold that pose and let me go get my camera."

Chloe glowered hatefully at Nathan and blinked more tears out of her eyes. They flashed and Nathan saw how serious they became and loved every aspect of it.

"You... killed... them..."

Nathan's smile thinned out into a devious grin.

"Yeah. I killed them. And I enjoyed it too. Now don't move. Keep on looking at me like that."

Nathan quickly left the room where he had his photography studio set up and stepped into the hallway. Chloe listened to his retreating footsteps and waited for them to disappear before she dared to snap her head back over to the silver tray and just so happened to see Max's camera bag sitting between some other photo albums on the lower shelf. Swallowing a hard lump in her throat, Chloe summoned every last bit of strength in her body to scoot her chair over to the silver cart. She wiggled her wrists and ankles around several times. Lucky for her, Nathan didn't secure her left ankle down as tight as he thought. She kept rotating the ankle until it was free and once it was mobile, she put the tip of her boot on the silver cart and jerked it closer to herself. The goal was to find Max's journal and hopefully, a photo of herself in it. Max was always taking instant photos of them. Chloe could only pray that Max snapped a picture of her when she was looking. Eventually, Chloe was able to pry her left wrist free. Chloe reached down and snatched up the journal. Because her senses were still a little numb from the drugs, Chloe dropped he journal a few times but eventually she stabled it on her lap. She swiftly and sloppily flipped through the journal pages, eyes scanning each picture desperately. On the third page, Chloe froze seeing a particular photo of herself on her bed at night. Max was in font of her and she was snuggled in behind her in black shirt with a yellow chick on it. Both of both of them smiling warmly up into the lens and the Max had labeled this special occasion, "Photobomb". Seeing her hand writing on the write frame border made Chloe's heart flutter in her chest.

_There's my rock star. Thank God. I totally remember taking this photo with her. Hella yes! I can totally use this!_

Chloe jerked her head up hearing the door open. Nathan lost his cocky smile and replaced it with a frown.

"Hey!"

He exclaimed, storming over in Chloe's direction.

"What are you doing over there?! Put that down! Ugh, I knew I should of moved that!"

Chloe bowed her head and focused as hard as she could on the photo. Just as Nathan drew  closer, ready to knock the journal off her lap, Chloe saw the atmosphere go completely white and heard a familiar voice complaining about her ruining the photo in the background and just like that, she jumped back in time and returned to her original position on the bed, behind Max. Now, it was Wednesday, October 9th and Chloe was no longer in a tormented state. She rolled away from Max and shot off the bed, instantly able to tell she was back to feeling like her old self. Max blinked rapidly, confused by her friend's reaction.

"Dude. It was just a silly photo. Was it that bad?"

Chloe stopped pacing and pulling at her hair and forgot about what all she had seen and done with Nathan at Pan Estates so she could get her facts in order. First things first. She needed to apologize to Max for her outburst at the junkyard,  _then_  she would let her in on the juicy details of the future that was to come.

"Max!"

Max laid her camera down on the floor and caught a small trickle of blood run from Chloe's nostril.

"Um, Chloe? Have you been messing with time again? Your nose. It's-"

Chloe shook her head and thrust her hand to the side, not even concerned about the consequences of using her power.

"We can worry about that later. I have so much crap to tell you... so much has happened to me since the start of this week and... and... oh screw it."

Chloe found a tissue on the computer desk, wiped the blood away then made a bee line for the bed.

"Babe, just come here. I can't even. I literally just can't even."

Max rolled completely over onto her back and was about to sit up and open her arms so Chloe could hug her but was suddenly pounced by Chloe and pinned back down to the mattress. Chloe dipped her head and kissed Max all over her freckled face. Between each kiss, Chloe whispered phrases that made Max almost shudder to know what the meaning behind each one was.

"I'm so sorry. I'll never yell at you again. I won't let him take you from me again. I love you... so much. Forgive me?"

Max slowly raised and eyebrow and gave Chloe such a pointed look, it actually made Chloe shift around nervously.

"Uhhh, sure thing Chloe. Yeah, I forgive you."

Max ran her hands up and down Chloe's spine and allowed her to nuzzle her. When she sensed that Chloe was calmer, Max softly pointed out the only obvious that would explain Chloe's sudden change in behavior.

"I died... didn't I?"

Max didn't even know the half of it. Before Chloe rewound, Max had been caught up on the alternate reality. Now Chloe had to tell the current Max everything all over again, pus what happened on Friday, October 11th. Rolling onto her side, Chloe propped herself up on her elbow and grimly nodded, confirming the foul news. Instead of yelling at Chloe or scolding her about using her power, Max reached out and gently cupped Chloe's face. She stroked the skin and gazed into Chloe's eyes, silently assuring her it was okay for her to tell her what happened.

"Come on Chloe. Out with it.  _What_  or  _who_  killed me?"

Chloe leaned into Max's touch, took a deep breath and gently wrapped her fingers around Max's wrist. She squeezed it then gradually lowered Max's hand away from her face and down onto the mattress.

"Well."

Chloe sighed, glancing up momentarily to collect her thoughts, then looked back down at her soulmate. Her expression went from sad to serious and Max noted the change. Making a pained face, Max winced and hesitantly rubbed at her own arm, suddenly feeling uncomfortable about everything.

"Wowser. Was it that bad? When and where did this all start Chloe? Come on, tell me. I won't freak out. We've nicely been through this already so... yeah."

"If we're gonna be technical about it, it all started in a alternate reality."

Max stopped rubbing her arm and squinted her eyes, shocked to learn that Chloe had created another reality and she evidently, wasn't allowed to remember any of it.

"Whoa. Really?"

Chloe nodded.

"Yeah. But don't worry, I fixed it and that's how I got back here. We were gonna look into Rachel and had some pretty good leads but then, I lost it, wanted to rant and took us to the junkyard and it was there Nathan came and sorta messed crap up."

Max opened her mouth and started to ask what Nathan Prescott had to do with anything but just as she was about to talk him, Chloe's finger came down and rested on her lips, stopping her in mid-sentence. Chloe shook her head, not wanting Max to ask questions. Not before she confessed what Rachel told her.

"I was too worked up emotionally to tell you about the alternate reality before. This time, I'm going to tell you everything, from start to finish and when we're done. We're going to stop Nathan before the worst happens to Rachel. I mean, I know we should probably go save Rachel now, but it's equally just as important for you to know what I know. That way, we can form a game plan."

Leaning away from Chloe's finger, Max nodded, gently indicating for Chloe to go on with her story. Max scooted further back on the bed, rolled onto her side and stretched out to get comfortable. She listened deeply to Chloe's story, nodding every now and then to indicate she heard and understood what Chloe was saying. Chloe was so exhausted, it showed on her face and Max could hear it in her voice as she talked. In the end, Max decided she would do whatever Chloe asked of her to save Rachel, stop Nathan and restore the balance. Whatever balance was anymore, Max was committed to help Chloe bring order to the their situation, even at the express of her own health. It wasn't fair that Chloe went through the trials alone and Max made sure Chloe understood that she was going to help and stick with Chloe until it was over... whenever that was, Max would be there. Chloe was relieved to see that Max believed her and wanted to fix the cycle with her. After getting dressed in Rachel's clothes and Chloe in a punk Doe rebel outfit, the two ventured downstairs in search of David. On purpose. If there was anyone who would jump at the opportunity to bust a Prescott and help the community in the process, it would be David.

 

* * *

  **Past Photo:** Chloe drugged, being carried into Pan Estates by Nathan.

 **Current Photo:** Principal Wells standing beside David, who explains to him how he learned about Nathan and Rachel Amber's whereabouts keeping Chloe as a anonymous source. Off to the side, Officer Berry and Officer Corn and a few other local authorities are escorting a cuffed Nathan off campus and down the steps into a police cruiser. Chloe's arm is wrapped protectively around Max and both girls, along with the other Blackwell students who were present, watched the scene take place in a grim silence. Chloe's expression as she watched Nathan being taken away, was a mixture of regret and sorrow.

 **Past Photo:** Rachel tied down to a chair, head bowed and semi-conscious and Nathan knelt down on his knee, taking pictures of her with his camera.

 **Current Photo:** Rachel at Pan Estates in the photo studio laying still on the floor, severely drugged. Her hair was unkempt, her completion was sickly and David and two other cops come into the room and quickly begin to cut the ropes binding her hands and ankles together.

 **Past Photo:** Chloe tied to the chair in the photo studio, flipping through Max's journal and seeking a photo to use to jump back through time with.

 **Current Photo:** Max standing in front of the class with her photo that won the Everyday Hero Contest. Mark Jefferson is beside her clapping while Max shyly holds up the enlarged portrait of her selfie entry, showing it off to her peers. Kate Marsh smiles, very happy that Max won and Victoria stands there, arms crossed but forces a polite smile so she doesn't look bad in front of their teacher.

 **Past Photo:** Rachel laying on the bed, underneath Nathan as he prepares to enter her body, eyes closed in despair.

 **Current Photo:** Chloe sitting on a chair near the bed with Rachel at the hospital on October 11th, holding Rachel's hand. Rachel is slightly awake, smiling weakly at Chloe, who smiles back.

  

* * *

 

"Miss Price?"

Chloe jerked awake hearing her name and was greeted with an awful pain in her shoulders, neck and forearms. She had fallen asleep in the chair in the hospital room long after staying up to watch over Rachel. Visiting hours were clearly over but she was still in the room.

"Miss Price?"

The soft voice beckoned to her a second time. Frowning, Chloe sat up straighter in the chair and turned her head, curious to see who was talking to her. Rachel's nurse, a beautiful middle aged, blonde haired woman was watching her from the other side of bed, staring at her with a patient smile on her face.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep here, like this."

Chloe was genuinely sorry but not sorry she was able to spend time with Rachel. Rachel was the whole reason she risked resting events after all. If anything, Rachel was her reward and she intended to enjoy her. Once they were alone.

"You're fine. Her parents put you down as family and told us to make sure that you were not dismissed."

The nurse sweetly explained this to Chloe but at the same time, returned to checking Rachel's vitals and looking for any abnormal activity in general. When she found everything normal, she stepped back and walked away from the bed. She went over to retrieve a clipboard off the end table ear Chloe's chair and busily began to and write out a detailed report on Rachel's progress.

"It's good that the Ambers recognized you as family. They say it's thanks to you and... was it Miss Caulfield? Ah yes. That's right. If it wasn't for the two of you their daughter would never have been found so the most they said they could do, was allow you to visit with their daughter as long as you liked."

The nurse stole a glance at Chloe's reddening face.

"It's obvious you really care about her, otherwise I don't think you would have stayed around this long. Are you and Miss Amber-"

Chloe shook her head in response to the subtle question she felt coming the moment she and nurse made eye contact earlier.

_Man. Why does everyone have to assume that? Geeze, here we go..._

Chloe leaned forward, rested her elbows on her knees and gradually narrowed insulted eyes. Clearing her throat, she suddenly squared her shoulders, feeling the need to establish some boundaries.

"No. We're not together. But you know, even if that  _wasn't_  the case and we  _were_  a thing, how is it any of your business?"

The nurse shrugged, not even phased by Chloe's rising frustrating or the daggers she gave her.

"Because it's  _James Amber's_ heir. That's why. He is a traditional man and everyone who knows him, knows how he expects his daughter to uphold the Amber name in this town. To someone like him, it would be the worst shame for his family and possibly, for Arcadia Bay. But that's to be expected from a rich, influential man like him, I suppose."

Chloe frowned and titled her head to the side both in anger and in curiosity.

" _Riiiiight_. Mr. Amber thinks if his daughter is like that, its big shame for his family and for this dump heap of a town? I beg to differ. I think what Sean Prescott did to his son is far worse than James Amber's daughter chasing after a woman. But hey, if the town wants to say molesting one’s son is a lesser evil, sure. Go ahead and believe that. But he doesn't have to worry about his daughter in that way since we're not together."

The nurse froze. Blinking, she twisted her body in Chloe's direction and studied her closely, wondering if she heard Chloe correctly or not.

"What?"

Chloe leaned back into the chair and crossed her arms.

"You heard me."

The nurse didn't want to expand on the accusation of Sean Prescott so she nicely steered the conversation away from him.

"I'll just take this report to Miss Amber's doctor now. If you need anything, just press the button and someone will come. Have a nice day, Miss Price. I'll be going now."

Giving Chloe another polite smile, the nurse quickly existed the room, leaving Chloe and Rachel alone.

"Chloe?"

Hearing Rachel speak was so nice. Her voice was weak, and Chloe had to strain herself to hear her, but at least she opened her eyes a little bit and was attempting to engage with her. Smiling sideways, Chloe scooted the chair closer, as close as she could without smothering Rachel and instantly reached out to stroke Rachel's hair out of her eyes.

"Hey beautiful."

Chloe whispered.

"How you feeling?"

Rachel fragilely leaned into Chloe's touch, sighing softly.

"Like crap... I mean, I'm better than I was but I'm defiantly not at my best."

Chloe continued to pet Rachel's face and run her fingers through her hair, hoping it would provide Rachel some much needed comfort. Rachel woke up slowly and managed to observe the other girl sitting in the chair beside her through sleepy, slotted eyes. Chloe's eyes were full of tears and the hand Chloe had on Rachel's face, was trembling.

"You finally found me, huh? Took you long enough. I thought you pirates knew how to hunt for lost treasure?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Chloe sighed, shrugging lazily.

"But this captain is shot. I had a lot of trouble trying to steer the ship towards you, my bad for getting kidnapped and you and Max killed. I couldn't have that, so I had to reset again."

Chloe withdrew her hand and resorted to laying her head on Rachel's lap. Rachel didn't mind. In fact, she welcomed Chloe's desire to touch her.

"I really hope you can remember what we discussed in the alternate reality, because if not, I gotta tell you what all happened and honestly I'm just not feeling that right now. I'm just... so... tired..."

"Oh. Don't worry. I remember everything. I may not know what's going on yet in this reality but give me time and I'm sure I'll see another vision that will show me what's up."

Releasing a long-winded sigh, Chloe turned her head sideways and using her eyes, looked up at Rachel in depth, like she was trying to be sure Rachel was really there, in the bed, in the room with her.

"Unless of course, you want to tell me about what all went down before then? Either way, I know who you are, I know what I said in that other reality and I know it's because of your efforts, I'm here with you now. Thanks for saving me Chloe. You're a real hero."

"I am?"

Chloe asked, finding that hard to believe.

"Yes."

Rachel chuckled softly.

"You're my hero anyway."

"The storm hasn't shown up yet. Do you think it will eventually?"

Chloe buried her face in the covers on Rachel's lap, feeling a strong wave of drowsiness hit her. It came out of no where but it was just what she needed.

"I'm hella worried it's gonna show up and kill us all and I'm just... so... tired... I can't..."

"Shh. Go to sleep Price. Storm or no storm, you fixed things. We're together and life is normal for the moment. Now sleep Chloe, we both need it after all the stuff we've been through."

"I know. And you're right. Sleep sounds so nice."

Chloe yawned at the same as Rachel. Chloe mumbled a few more words to herself then finally allowed herself to relax. She shut her eyes and felt Rachel's fingers dancing through her hair as she got more comfortable across Rachel's lap. Chloe couldn't have been sure how long the two of them rested there like that. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? She didn't know, she didn't care. Her smartphone was not on silent, so when it rang, Chloe heard it and jerked awake against her will. Rachel shifted under the sheets too, but she didn't wake up. Feeling Rachel arch, Chloe lifted her head up off Rachel's lap and gave her quick once-over to see if she was okay. Rachel's head was tipped back, tucked nicely between the cushion of her pillow and rolled to the left. Her chest raised with each breath and lowered back down every so slowly, marking her frailness. She was in such a deep state of bliss, Rachel didn't even notice Chloe's smartphone ringing in the background and laid there while Chloe searched her pockets, completely unaffected by the harsh ringtone that filled the room. When Chloe brought her smartphone out and near her face, she saw the caller I.D. and smiled. It was Max. Someone who Chloe was more than happy to talk to and sacrifice her sleep time for.

"Hey hippe, how's the art gallery treating you?"

Chloe asked in soft voice, standing up from the chair and walking over to the window as a means to have something to look at while she chatted with Max. Chloe's smile faltered when she heard the frantic tone fill her ear and a light sob afterwards.

_"Chloe... Chloe we messed up. Oh man this sucks! I hate this! Why did it have to be **him**  of all people?!"_

Chloe felt a pang in her chest and her stomach knot at those words. Max wasn't calling... to talk to her about her success at the art gallery and that alone, put Chloe on edge.

"Max. Calm down. What are you talking about? How did we mess up? I fixed everything remember? I'm here at the hospital with Rachel and I haven't seen one dark cloud in the sky."

_"No! I'm not talking about that! I mean, we messed up when we thought it was Nathan who was behind the kidnappings at Blackwell. Nathan was just a pawn, another victim. He's not the real mastermind he led us on to believe."_

Chloe's eyes widened.

"What?"

She whispered, her free hand going up to cover her mouth.

"Max... no. Please tell me it's not what I'm thinking."

_"It's **exactly**  what you're thinking. Chloe, I don't have much time. Mr. Jefferson is coming for me and when he finds me... it'll be too late for me. He knows about what we did to Nathan and our investigations. And when he gets back to Arcadia Bay, watch out. Because he's coming for you. I'm so sorry but, I won't be coming back after this trip. I'm... going to die, Chloe."_

Chloe whirled around and stormed over to Rachel's bed. She wasn't sure why she did it, more than likely she wanted to be near someone to cry on when Max hung up the phone.

"Max. Where are you?"

_"I thought we were going to hotel, but I think he drugged me because when I came to and woke up, I was some place different. Wherever I am, it isn't a hotel. It's some kind of warehouse and it's really dark. I'm alone and in some kind holding space. The only reason I'm talking to you now, is because I managed to swipe his phone before he left to get his 'tools'."_

"Tools? Just what is he going to do to you?!"

At that precise moment, Chloe heard Mark's voice in the background and the sound of Max's whimpering and then... nothing. The call was cut off and the only thing Chloe heard was a dull dial tone, then a recorded robotic voice said,

_"I'm sorry. The person you are trying to reach has been disconnected or has ended the call. Please hang up and try again. Good-bye."_

Chloe dropped the smartphone, hit her knees and kept her hand over her mouth for two reasons. To stifle her sobbing and to also muffle the screams of despair as it dawned on her that Max was no longer among the living. So focused was Chloe on keeping her cries suppressed so she wouldn't wake Rachel up or draw attention from the hospital staff, she failed to notice how the sky darkened outside of the window, how deep the thunder rumbled throughout the sky and the clouds starting to form a twister of destruction on the water by the lighthouse far off in the distance.


	11. Episode 11: Stuck (W)

**Friday, October 11th**

* * *

 

It was storming violently outside, the wind was howling, the sky was angry and the entire hospital was in a hysterical state of panic and fear. Lights flickered on and off and Chloe could hear rushed footsteps outside the door and frantic cries coming from the staff. Everyone was freaking out over the storm and was desperately trying to secure their patients the best they could. It was still debate as to issuing evacuation. The person on the intercom would announce a standby procedure and as that all visitors remain inside and wait for further instructions.

Chloe didn't move from her fetal position on the ground. She continued to hug herself and sob quietly over losing one of her soulmates. Rachel? Poor Rachel slept through the entire chaos. She heard everything just as easily as Chloe did but was too weak to bring herself out of her slumber. That and she didn't have the mental or emotional strength to withstand more pressure. Being drugged and forced to see visions of past lives in alternate realities was starting to have serious consequences on Rachel's health. Chloe understood this so she didn't bother Rachel even though part of her wanted to throw herself at Rachel and cry hard, Chloe resisted. But did Chloe really want Rachel to see her in such a state? Not really. Chloe was annoyed at how easily broken she had become in just a week's worth of time, much less her overall sensitivity to her needs and the needs of others.

Some time had passed and Chloe still hadn't moved and Rachel remained fast asleep, dull to the loud activity taking place outside of her room. Chloe wasn't sure how long she stayed curled on the floor in a ball hugging herself. She was in shock and felt numb all over. She didn't know what to do anymore or where to even to start picking up the pieces. All Chloe knew was that Max was gone and she wasn't coming back. That phone call was their last conversation and somewhere in San Francisco, Mark Jefferson was gloating over his latest scheme and probably dumping Max's body in the ocean or in the back of a dumpster somewhere. Eventually, Rachel's medicine wore off and her eyes opened just to where you could see them. Hearing Chloe's soft hiccup sobs caught the other girl's attention almost instantly. Taking it slow and easy, Rachel lazily turned her head and glanced down at the floor where Chloe was at. She knew something was terribly wrong for Chloe to be crying in that position. Blinking, Rachel groggily called out to Chloe and asked her what was bothering her. Chloe didn't answer at first but she did try to clamp her sobbing. When she felt strong enough to raise up and confront Rachel, Chloe got up and sat down in the chair next to the bed. Rachel watched Chloe with a sleepy expression and she patiently waited for Chloe to speak. The loud noises of the hospital and the fierce winds were concerning but none of that mattered to Rachel. Chloe was the only thing she cared about at the moment and it showed when she opened her mouth and whispered her name.

"Chloe…"

Rachel closed her eyes, needing to take a moment to catch her breath. Feeling some energy build up, Rachel opened her eyes and tried to engage with the depressed teen sitting in the chair.

"What's wrong?"

Chloe bowed her head, leaned over and rested her elbows on her knees, torn between bursting out in tears or confessing everything that had happened.

"Chloe."

Rachel said her name again, this time with some more force.

"I don't know what's going on."

"I'm aware you don't know what's going on."

Chloe muttered, still refusing to lift her head and look at Rachel. Frowning, Rachel shifted under the blankets, adjusting herself so she could get more comfortable. Parting her lips, she released a weary, strained sigh. She hated it when Chloe clammed up and shut her out. It was always a issue between them, even in past lives from different realities.

"Chloe, I can't help you if I don't understand."

"I-"

The sudden whip of a branch smashing the window cut Chloe off and made both girls jump. Shaking it off, Chloe raised her hand and ran it down her face a few times to get rid of the tears that spilled from the corners of her eyes.

"Rachel."

Chloe whispered in low, sincere voice. The shift was noticeable and Rachel sat up straighter in response. Chloe poked the inside of her cheek with her tongue, hating how weak and cracked her voice sounded. Swallowing the unexpected lump in her throat, Chloe took a slow, cautious breath and stared straight ahead at nothing. Her eyebrows knit together, creating a crease in her forehead. She clenched her jaw line on purpose because she was on the verge of having another breakdown and didn't want to loose it before telling Rachel what happened to Max. Like a light switch turned on, Chloe lost her sadness and replaced it with a gentle sincerity and Rachel noted the change.

"There's something I gotta tell you."

Rachel was calm at first, composed and attentive as Chloe explained what took place in the room less than three hours ago. Her sickly appearance and sluggish movements changed when she learned about Max's fate and Chloe's in heat of the moment solution to "fix" the situation. Alarmed, Rachel flung back the covers, sat up completely and turned to Chloe. She stared at her in disbelief and despite having her mouth open, no words were coming out.

"It's the only way to reverse what I've done. I have to go back to a earlier time and stop Nathan first. I think Nathan's involvement is key to this. If I can get him to back off before October 11th, which is today, I think I can stop Jefferson, save you and Max."

Rachel's eyes remained in a half open position because she was so exhausted but that didn't stop her from giving Chloe daggers.

"Chloe don't you get it?"

Chloe craned her neck and looked at Rachel, questionably.

"Get what?"

Rachel gestured between the two of them with her hand then pointed at the window where the terror was happening.

"Your role in all of this. It was the same as mine when I had the power. You can't stop that storm from coming no more than I could stop the storm in my reality. I know I said I wanted to help you find a solution to stopping this insanity and I meant every word of that but you going back in time, over and over isn't the answer. It's _because_ you're messing with time and changing all these events that crap like that storm is here."

Chloe jerked out of the chair and lashed out at Rachel before she knew what she was doing.

"You think I haven't put that together?!"

She barked, throwing her arms up in frustration.

"But I can't do this! I can't bear the thought of living in world without either of you in my life. Whatever happened to our dreams of running away together to L.A. and living together?! Where did that go Rachel? And since Max is back I don't even know if running away with you is worth it anymore…"

Rachel froze, unsure of how to respond to Chloe's confession.

"I mean, clearly running away _now_ isn't going to work. If we live through this storm and come out of it alive, would L.A. be the answer? Maybe for you but what about for me? I've been trying to understand all of this and nothing makes sense. Why have this power if I can't help others? Why have this power if I can't even… use it to bring myself happiness? You and Max were my happiness but it's like I'm not allowed to have both of you at the same time without messing crap up for all of us."

Arching an eyebrow, Rachel did something unexpected. She pulled out her IVs, which made the machine go off, but Rachel didn't care. She slid off the bed and stood on shaky legs. It took her a moment, but she eventually was able to put one foot in front of the other and her first act of business was unplugging the monitor machine. She turned to Chloe, made her way around the bed and where Chloe was standing. Chloe stepped in so Rachel didn't have to strain herself then gently wrapped her arms around Rachel and pulled her close. Placing her hands on Chloe's face, Rachel brought their foreheads together and asked Chloe a unique question.

"Chloe. What is it you wish above all else? What do you desire?"

Chloe shrugged, shaking her head.

"I…"

Trailing off, Chloe shut her eyes momentarily and bit back a building sob in her chest.

"I want my liberty!"

She softly exclaimed through clenched teeth.

"Your... liberty?"

Rachel hesitantly echoed, blinking and rolling the answer around in mind as she tried to grasp the meaning behind Chloe's answer. Rachel understood Chloe was saying she wanted to be free, but free from what? Rachel knew it was exceeding selfish of her and petty, but she let go of Chloe's face and broke out of the embrace, shocking the other teen. Putting her hands on her waist, Rachel did her best to make herself come off insulted. Shaking her head firmly, Rachel coldly interjected,

"This is something I don't want you to have, Chloe."

Chloe stared at Rachel, shook by her response.

_What is that supposed to mean? She was the one who asked me what I desired. W-What's going on? Is it the drugs messing with her?_

Chloe squinted her eyes and gave Rachel a quick once over and concluded that Rachel was not under the influence of the medicine and was speaking with a sound mind.

"Rachel I don't understand. Why wouldn't you want me to have my freedom? This gift, all it's been is a hindrance. I feel smothered, trapped, almost obligated to act when I see you or Max in danger. Life before this power was simple and stupid. I was happier when it was just about weed, drinking and planning our escape from Arcadia Bay."

"But I can't just… let you go. I never…"

Rachel rubbed at her arm and as much as she wanted to avert her eyes away from Chloe's confused ones, she held contact.

"Was able to tell you, just how dearly I hold you in my heart, Chloe. Even in my realities when I was the one with the power, I couldn't bring myself to just say it."

Feeling the uneasy pressure building in her, Rachel pressed her lips together and attempted to look away but Chloe's penetrating stare forced her to look back.

"I have a bad habit of keeping my feelings draped. You have been such a loyal companion and-"

Rachel took a breath, held it, then let it go.

"Friend. But I say, is being with me, even in the midst of chaos, uncertainty and danger not the adventure we wanted? Am I not exciting, amusing and worth all of this? Don't I-"

Rachel let go of her arm, reached out and grazed her trembling fingers down Chloe's arm.

"Bring you a delight that overpowers all the negative we've both been through since all of this started?"

Chloe's eyes softened and she found herself getting lost under Rachel's heated gaze. It was nothing short of bliss. Being looked at with such fondness and respect from someone like Rachel made Chloe happy.

"Of… Of course you do Rachel."

Chloe finally admitted, lowering her voice as if someone might overhear them. Again, Rachel knew it was wrong to exclude Max from the picture but she couldn't help it. She felt she had come too far, that they had come to far just to restart everything.

"Then if you feel that way, why do you wish for freedom? Why do you want to risk being free of me again when I'm right here, in front of you?"

Chloe sighed, frowned and shook her head a little, frustrated that she couldn't seem to find the right words to express how she was feeling.

"Excitements, super powers, saving people, is just a form of distraction from the real problems we're facing. I haven't really solved anything meaningful since I've been given this gift and neither have you."

Chloe made a show of gesturing around at the room.

"This is my storm, I caused it, you even told me I did because I was messing with time. Okay then, was it worth it? And if yes, was it for you or for me?"

Chloe shrugged and crossed her arms and tipped her head in challenge at Rachel, daring her to tell her otherwise.

"This adventure we're having is pointless if I can't have you and Max at my side. I would prefer to have my freedom, my old life back. Is that wrong? If you care for me, you'll let me rewind and let me fix my mistake."

Without warning, Rachel raised a clenched fist and slammed it down hard on the bed, making a shocking noise.

"I finally have you in my life and you have me within your grasp. I will not apologize for that Chloe. I am sorry about Max, I really am but trust me, if you keep resetting and jumping around through time, you're going to eventually start tearing the fabrics of time and space and hurt yourself. You'll _die_ , Chloe. I can't let you destroy yourself the way I destroyed myself and make the same mistakes, all in the name of wanting liberty. If you do this and go back, there is another chance we'll be separated and the thought of it is too much. It's more than I can bear."

Chloe sighed and glanced in the direction of the window and took a moment to take in the damage of the storm. So much had been destroyed. Even from their position at the hospital on the hill, Chloe could see the trail of death it was leaving.

"I found you in this reality, I'll find you again. I think I've proven to you that I'll do anything to get to my soulmates and don't forget that Max was also helping me look for you too so we owe it to her to try again. Then we can all run away together and put all of this behind us."

Rachel walked up to Chloe and took her hands in hers.

"I'm not going to be able to convince you to stay here, am I? You love Max-"

Rachel's features saddened.

"That much, don't you?"

Chloe laced their fingers and dipped her head.

"Yes. I do."

Chloe kissed Rachel on the forehead then pressed her cheek against Rachel's slightly warmer one. They sighed, already knowing what was coming and as painful as it was going to be for the both of them, Rachel accepted that she was going to lose Chloe and possibly never see her again.

"I wish I could keep you a little longer, here with me and stay like this. Forget the storm, forget the power. I just want to stay like this."

Chloe moved her cheek off Rachel's and used her lips to run down the side of Rachel's neck. Rachel clung to Chloe's forearms and gasped. Chloe giggled, amused that she still had that kind of effect on Rachel's body.

"I get that you want me and all, but I just can't do it, not in good conscience and knowing Max got screwed over because we got played by Jefferson."

Chloe pulled Rachel impossibly closer and gradually moved her mouth to rest against Rachel's ear. There she whispered,

"When this is all over, I'll make it up to you. So wait for me and try not to die, okay?"

Rachel nodded just enough to where you could see her head move and they separated against their will.

"All right Chloe. Go do what you feel you need to do, but remember what I've told you and be mindful of what events you're going to change."

Chloe kissed Rachel on the cheek, causing a smile to form on Rachel's face. Content that peace had been restored between them, Chloe let her go, walked over to her jacket, put it on, zipped it up then turned to face Rachel one final time. Rachel stood by the bed and watched Chloe with a tired expression with a pinch of longing in her eyes.

"Don't look so sad. I'll find you and fix this once and for all."

Chloe forced herself to be positive and strong for them both, knowing it might lessen the sting of her departure.

"I couldn't save you from that train because I abused my gift and was slowly dying as a result. You can't save me or Max for that matter if you're dead, Price."

Chloe reached in her jacket's pocket and pulled out her smartphone. She glanced down at the screen and hastily went into her picture folder, looking for a particular photo she took at the start of the week.

"I'm aware of that Rachel. Have faith in me. Trust that I'll do my best to make everything fair for everyone."

Rachel sat down on the edge of the bed and no sooner after she sat down, the hospital lost power. Several alarmed cries rang out throughout the building, followed by some swearing. Unimpressed, Rachel used her elbow and rested her chin in her hand. Scoffing lightly, she crossed her legs at the ankles and her mood soured.

"Great. This is starting out so well."

The light from Chloe's screen lit up the room. Without looking away from the screen, Chloe softly remarked over to her soulmate,

"I didn't cause the power to go out. Not my fault."

Rachel tossed her hair over her shoulder then lazily pressed her fist into the pit of her cheek.

"Hey Chloe?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

Chloe asked in rushed voice, already feeling her time power starting to surface. The photo she was looking at was none other than blue jay she snapped by the fire alarm in the bathroom at the start of her week. Narrowing her eyes, Chloe firmly planted her feet, shoulder width apart and clutched at the sides of her smartphone. Her focused face was priceless. Rachel didn't want to disturb her but if they weren't going to meet again after today, Rachel wanted Chloe to remember the moment. Tilting her head over, Rachel lowered her hand down onto the bed and assessed the other teen preparing to depart from her forever. Her mind made up, Rachel decided to be creative and mysterious, so she told Chloe three words in another language, thinking Chloe wouldn't know what it meant.

"Je t'aime."

Chloe's eyes widened and she felt her mouth part. She glanced up at Rachel and actually considered stopping herself from moving forward but it was too late. Time was shifting backwards and there was nothing Chloe could do to stop it. In her desperation, Chloe dared to return a response, but the entire atmosphere was turning white and Rachel was fading into the light along with everything else in the room.

"Je t'aime aussi, Rachel! Je te retrouverai, alors attends moi!"

Chloe shouted back but couldn't be sure if Rachel heard her or not, as time was drastically starting to rewind. Rachel didn't see that one coming. She was sure Chloe didn't pay attention to her French classes in either of the realities she was a part of but just then Chloe proved her wrong and Rachel was flattered at the promise Chloe made to her in French. It made the pending doom seem less depression and gave her faint glimmer of hope for their situation.

"Chloe, I-"

Whatever it was Rachel was going to tell her got cut off by the blinding light that was overshadowing them. Chloe wanted to cry right there and grieve for the loss of loosing Rachel again, but she wasn't allowed to mourn. The power forced Chloe to the past and mercilessly ripped the two friends far away from each other in a matter of seconds.

* * *

 

Chloe stood still, eyes stark white and vision crippled by the blinding light that still lingered in her pupils. Chloe was very dazed and felt heavily disoriented, but once she got over the initial shock of coming out of time travel, she regained her ability see normally. Chloe took one step forward then swayed a little bit without warning and felt her nose bleed from both nostrils instead of just one. She raised her hand and put her fingers under her nostrils and for some reason, began to experience an anxiety attack of sorts. Her heart raced, her head felt like it was being split open and her vision zoomed in and out of focus, like a camera lens. When she dared to raise her head and look around at her surroundings, she saw the drastic changes unraveling before her. Blotches of black and red formed all around her and spread over the environment. The only thing that remained unaffected was the blue jay on the bucket. The glowing creature didn't stay long, it twitched its tail feathers, launched itself into the air and showed itself out the window. It flew into what should have been the outside but instead, was absorbed into a discolored flickering of light and was no more after that.

"Ahhh my head!"

Chloe placed her free hand on top of her head, thinking if she touched it and applied some force, it might help with the painful pressure she felt. It didn't help. Gravely annoyed, she staggered forward and everything spun out of control, making her extremely dizzy and very nauseous to her stomach.

"I just have to change one thing, then I think it will stop. I just have to hold out long enough for Nathan to get in here."

Chloe raised a heavy head and painfully stretched her neck to look around the stall to study her surroundings. The school bathroom didn't look like a healthy bathroom. Not with the black and red patches covering everything.

"Rachel was right. This feeling is  _awful_. It's like… reality is breaking apart. Just what exactly am I doing to time?"

Chloe stopped in mid-sentence seeing the bathroom door open and Nathan step inside. She didn't hesitate or care if Max was about to enter and be completely clueless as to what was going on. It was now or ever.

"Nathan!"

Chloe exclaimed, startling the other teen and causing Nathan to freeze. Chloe tried to to make her body move but wound up doubling over and groaning loudly. She swallowed hard and almost got sick all over the bathroom floor.

_Pull it together Chloe. Max and Rachel's lives are on line here._

Releasing a long, shaky sigh, Chloe straightened up and made her way over to Nathan. Every step she took was a fight and Chloe had to push through the alarming levels of discomfort just to walk a straight line over to the sinks where Nathan stood and watched her suspiciously. He had a crazed look in his eyes, one Chloe recognized all too well. She needed to talk him down before he resorted to using the gun.

"Don't shoot."

Nathan open his mouth, prepared to lie and deny Chloe's truthful statement but she waved her hand, cutting him off.

"Don't even bother trying to smooth talk yourself outta it. I know you have a gun in your rear pocket. But I'm not here to hurt you, I don't wanna fight. I just wanna talk."

Nathan blinked, bewildered that Chloe, someone who he hadn't seen or spoken to in days, knew that he was packing a 9mm and evidently, knew he was going to come into the girl's bathroom.

"Price?"

Nathan narrowed angry eyes, deeply insulted that Chloe was even in the bathroom with him.

"What are you doing in here?"

"It's the girl's the bathroom. I have the right to be here but that's not why I'm in here. I'm trying to save you, idiot."

Came the unexpected response from the rebel. Confused, Nathan jerked and arched his neck back in shock when Chole staggered into him and suddenly wrapped her arms around him. Turing her head, Chloe pressed her lips against Nathan's ear and did her best to speak properly without giving into the urge to throw up.

"Nathan, I need you to stop kidnapping girls and help me save Rachel's life, okay? I don't want you to go to jail over a fetish and I sure as heck don't want Rachel to die over this misconception you have of Mark Jefferson. He's bad for Blackwell and equally bad for your health."

Hearing Chloe say "Rachel", "Mark Jefferson" and "kidnapping" in one sentence made Nathan exceptionally nervous and very anxious. His eye pupils dilated, his breathing quickened and his entire body tensed against Chloe's limp one. Those minor details aside, Nathan was freaking out at the fact that Chloe was touching him. Holding him in a loving embrace and Nathan wasn't sure how to feel about it. It was tempting to shove her off and blow her brains out, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Simply because Chloe's actions shook him and he wanted to understand what was happening.

"How do you know about Rachel and my relationship with Mr. Jefferson, Chloe?"

Nathan asked in low, dangerous tone. One that indicated he wasn't afraid to do something crazy, like taking out his gun and shooting Chloe to silence her. As if sensing Nathan's drive to do just that, Chloe risked telling Nathan the truth, something that would either save them or destroy them. She was out of options and if she intended to save everyone dear to her, she had to persuade Nathan to join her team.

"Nathan. I know a lot of things. Because I can rewind time and have been doing so for a week now. I've done much, seen a lot of in several realities. One of which you and I were together as a couple and expecting a baby. But I didn't stay in that reality, I came back to this one to, so I could help Rachel, who you killed in her reality when she could control time. But that's a whole other story and I can't afford to discuss those details with you right now, I just want you to help me bust Mark and get Rachel to the hospital before she dies from the drugs you've been pumping into her for the past six months."

Chloe said this like it was a normal thing. Nathan knew he was a nut case and even he could tell what Chloe was going on about was farthest thing from normal. Nathan blinked hard, jerked his head to the side then snapped it back around and gazed into Chloe's eyes with fear and alarm. Part of him wanted to say she was high but she was so serious and firm in everything she said, Nathan doubted Chloe would just make that up out of the blue. Baring angry teeth at her, Nathan's rational side sprung up and canceled out any hope of what he was being told as the truth.

"What?!"

Nathan exclaimed and instantly shot Chloe a bewildered look.

"That's just not possible! This isn't an anime or a video game Price! People can't control time! I knew you were messed up but you're making me look bad and that's saying something!"

Nathan tried to push Chloe off of him but to both teens shock, Chloe increased her hold, rushed him against the bathroom door and roughly pinned him to the wall. Chloe did this for two reasons. To establish her dominance in the conversation and to keep Max from coming in.

"Listen! I don't have a lot of time. In fact, I'm probably not going to remember anything when time resumes but before it does, I need you to do something for me. And if my idea works, you have to find me and tell me  _everything_ that happened so I can know what I need to do next."

Outraged, Nathan tried to break away from Chloe again but she was already a step ahead him. Placing the hand that contained her power on the side of his face, Chloe squinted her eyes, focused hard on what she wanted to do and froze him. Chloe wasn't sure how she did it, she just knew she was thinking about it, willed it to happen and suddenly, Nathan was still, unable to move his body. Nathan could control his mouth and his eyes but that was about it.

"You wench! What did you do to me?!"

Chloe's eyes dropped against her will and she felt another strong wave of nausea hit her, on top of feeling like she was about to pass out. Leaning back in, Chloe rubbed her forehead into Nathan's shoulder and clung to his forearms, trying her best to keep herself steady.

"I used my time power and froze you. That's what. Convinced that I have super powers yet?"

Nathan rolled his eyes and made a grumpy face, but he didn't try to snap at her anymore.

"Nathan. Please."

Chloe weakly reached up, gently took hold of his chin. With little effort, she turned his face back around, so she could level her gaze with him once more. This tender action from Chloe not only caught Nathan off guard but it also humbled him. He had never been handled so delicately before, not by a man, not by a woman. It felt nice and did an amazing job at calming Nathan's rising aggression towards her.

"Listen to me."

Chloe whispered, taking a moment to brush her mouth across his cheek before finally pressing her lips to against his ear like before.

"I need to you help me otherwise, we're all screwed. I didn't come this far back in time just to loose to Mark Jefferson so here's what's up. You're gonna help me beat him whether you like it or not. When I unfreeze you, you're going to leave this bathroom, find Max and  _kindly_  instruct her that her pirate queen would like to have a little reunion at the lighthouse on October 11th."

Nathan started to say something, but Chloe interrupted him.

"Shh. Just listen."

Nathan pressed his lips firmly together and against his better judgment and let Chloe continue on with her plan.

"Now, after you tell Max to meet with me today, you will send an anonymous text to David Madsen, my step-douche and tell him where you stashed Rachel. And before you try to deny it, don't even bother. She's at Pan Estates, someplace no one would of ever thought to have looked so I commend you for being able to keep a low profile as long as you have. But you can do better than this. I  _know_  you can because you showed me a completely different side in another reality."

Nathan opened his mouth but as quickly as he opened it, he shut it. There it was again. Delicate information that only he should know. Frowning, Nathan tried not to think about how all of this was working or how Chloe connected to it. It was best just to do as she asked and wait for an opening to insert himself into the conversation.

"After you do all of this, go about your usual routine but don't talk about Rachel, you're involvement with Mark or try to figure out how I know what I know. On October 11th, I want you to personally drive Max to the lighthouse and do whatever you gotta do to get her there in one piece. Stay with her until I get there, okay? Once we're all together, I'll explain everything in more depth."

Nathan didn't know how to feel about what Chloe was asking of him or what Chloe wanted him to do, but he grunted anyway, indicating that he would comply. Sensing his hesitation and doubts, Chloe did something else that messed with Nathan's ability to process her intentions. She used the tip of her nose and ran it down the side of his neck, causing his eyes to gradually widen.

_Is she... hitting on me?_

Putting Chloe's advancements aside, Nathan demanded something that Chloe wasn't ready to debate with him.

"I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing here but stop messing with me Price. So you can do some voodoo and make my body numb. That's still not enough to convince me that you can control time. You claim you're from the future and sure, you know some secrets. I'll give you that but why should I care or even help you? I hate you, you're nothing to me. Freak show of nature or not and I don't-"

"Your father molested you and verbally abused you as a child and as of six months ago, you found other means to help coop with the trauma. The most you did was move out of the dorms and into your sister's house. Why? Because you wanted emotional support and she was the only one who could give it to you in the ways you desire, but despite being close with your sister, she had no idea why you moved out of your dorm and into her house. Life was good until she decided to go live in Brazil. Feeling abandoned, you turned to drugs, booze and sadly, Mark Jefferson to help you through the difficulties of being related to a lowlife scum bag like Sean Prescott."

The testimony from Chloe's mouth cut Nathan to his core. He was frozen, so he couldn't move his body from the neck down. If he could, he would have done something crazy to express his shock and inner hurt at having to be reminded of such foul memories from his past.

"Chloe!"

He hissed through clenched teeth.

"How do you know about that?!"

Nathan yelled, making Chloe wince.

"I-I never told anyone about what my father did to me. Not even Mark."

Chloe let go of Nathan's chin, bowed her head and officially felt time starting to rush her forward. The scenery began to fog over with white, partly blinding Chloe's vision. She wasn't sure if it would work, given with her condition, how she felt but she unfroze Nathan steadied herself and carefully leaned back in and gently bumped her forehead against his. Nathan did happen to feel his body start to revert to normal, but he didn't try to do anything. He was far too interested in understanding how Chloe knew about his secrets when he knew for a fact he hadn't told her.

"Like I said, I can rewind time and in another reality, we were close. You told me these things and I'm hoping by telling you now, in this reality you'll cut me some slack and do what I've asked."

Nathan arched an eyebrow, his features hardened but he stiffly nodded his head and Chloe watched him, almost afraid it was too good to be true.

"Okay. So... you can rewind time and you need me to be a good boy until October 11th? If I do this for you Price, what do I get out of it?"

Nathan challenged, curious to hear Chloe's answer.

"You got a baby out of me the first time. If you want to try again... I'm open to it."

At this point, all Chloe saw was white and Nathan naturally faded from sight but she could still feel herself pressed against his. Nathan's laugh rumbled deep in his chest and his next question neither teen was prepared for.

"A baby huh? Sorry, not looking to be a father but sex is always nice to have but I don't understand something. I've been listening and keeping up with everything you've told me and I can't figure out why Chloe Price would care about me."

Chloe opened her mouth to offer a quick explanation, but Nathan suddenly cut her off.

"Let's say I believe you, all right? And let's say, I get Max to the lighthouse this Friday, bust Mark and get Rachel the help she needs... why would you jump through time and risk screwing up events for them, huh? Max left you for years and Rachel? You're just an accessory to her, a pet project she entertains when she wants attention. Once she gets bored of you, you'll be tossed out of her life, just like I was and everyone else she's walked over. If any of what you're saying is true Chloe, which it would have to be for you to know about my family's past, tell me why?"

Even though Chloe couldn't see Nathan's face anymore she could still feel him glaring daggers at her.

"Why are you doing all of this for people who don't care about you?"

Chloe could have defended Rachel's position easily. Max? Not so much but she still could have corrected Nathan and made him regret talking smack about her soulmates. Since she was out of time, she settled for a more assertive approach. One she should of done in the alternate reality.

"Because I  _love you_ Nathan, that's why I'm doing this. I want to save everyone, including you..."

Chloe dryly retorted, eyes fluttering shut as hot tears ran down her cheeks. Chloe knew it might of been useless to try, but she cupped the area where she remembered Nathan's face being, leaned into the sea of white light and kissed him on the lips softly and couldn't help but whimper in his transparent mouth. That was the last thing Chloe remembered doing in that time before she was spirited away and thrust forward to her new reality. One of which she was hoping Nathan would be a part of.

 

* * *

 

 **Past Photo:** Nathan pinning Max against the wall, hand pressed past her face, blocking her from escaping. Nathan has the barrel of the gun shoved up against Max's rib cage and she has her hand on the tip of it, her expression fearful while Nathan's is fierce and full of wrath.

 **Current Photo:** Nathan is in the bathroom and holding onto the sink, looking at Max who entered and stood still by the door. She listens to what Nathan's unforeseen story about Chloe and he tells her everything Chloe told him to say. Her eyes are wide and both hands are over her heart and she stares at Nathan in disbelief but tries really hard to understand the situation.

 **Past Photo:** Chloe playing guitar in Max's dorm room, relaxing lazily on the couch as she packs for her trip to San Francisco.

 **Current Photo:** David and local authorities find Rachel at Pan Estates and one standing off to the side, mouth on a radio and calls for an ambulance to come to the location.

 **Past Photo:** Max holding up her prize selfie photo that won the Everyday Hero Contest beside Mark Jefferson and shyly displays the piece in front of her peers.

 **Current Photo:** Victoria Chase holds up her prize selfie photo that wins the Everyday Hero Contest beside Ray Wells, who will be taking Victoria the airport the next day. Her peers don't look surprised, some clap some have their arms crossed and squint in jealously.

 **Past Photo:** Kate Marsh tied up and bound with duct tape on the floor of the Dark Room while Mark Jefferson lays on his stomach and takes pictures of her drugged state.

 **Current Photo:** Mark Jefferson throwing his arms up behind his desk near the cabinets, getting jumped by Officer Berry and Officer Corn, along with a few other policemen who infiltrate and aim their guns at him.

 **Past Photo:** Max riding public transportation to go over and see Chloe at her house at the start of the week, wondering why Chloe left the dorm before they had a chance to speak.

 **Current Photo:** Nathan driving Max to the lighthouse to meet with Chloe on October 11th during the storm.

 

* * *

 

Chloe's eyes snapped open and she inhaled sharply and instantly wondered what all happened and were she wound up at. She experienced a nose bleed, as usual and had just enough time to wipe it away when she heard the rush of footsteps coming towards her in the background. Having a good idea as to who it was, Chloe cautiously turned around, almost expecting it to be a trick.

It wasn't.

Sitting on the bench was Nathan, docile and well composed for someone of his nature. Since Chloe couldn't be sure what would come of her choice to convince Nathan to help her, she was thrilled to see Max beaming at her, despite that they were in the middle of a terrible storm and countless lives were at stake. Currently there were three people Chloe cared about, four if she counted her mother. Rachel, Max and Nathan. Assuring their safety was her top priority, even if her efforts wound up damaging her.

"Oh Chloe! You're finally here! We were beginning to think you weren't going to make it!"

Squinting blood shot eyes, Chloe groaned in relief and from the nagging presence of discomfort she couldn't seem to shake off.

"Hey hippie. Miss me?"

Chloe asked and inwardly grimaced at how weak and frail her voice sounded. Shaking it off, Chloe put on a weary, brave smile and opened her arms wide, preparing herself to catch Max. Max hit her full force, flung her arms over Chloe's shoulders and in the heat of her excitement, kissed Chloe all over her face.

"Shut up dork. Of course I missed you."

Chloe grinned subtly, enjoying the much-needed attention and found herself caving her tired arms around Max and pulling her closer. Giggling, Max dipped her head and nuzzled Chloe in greeting then buried her nose in the crook of Chloe's neck. Chloe rested her chin on top of Max's head and let out a soft sigh. She swayed them gently from side to side, glad to finally have Max in her life again.

"This whole week has been so crazy Chloe. Where have you been all this time?"

Frowning, Chloe lifted her chin off Max's head and ran her hand through Max's short mane of wet hair then lazily brought the other hand up to rest on the side of Max's face.

"You know? I really couldn't tell you. I don't... remember what I did. Only some stuff on Monday at Blackwell. After that it's all a blur. I'm just glad that whatever I was doing, didn't get in the way of this and I remembered to come here."

Chloe sighed happily when Max eased up on her toes and gave her a family peck on the mouth then on the tip of her nose. Chloe cracked a faint smile, pleased that their reunion was going over well without any wounded feelings.

"I am too Chloe. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't freaked out by any of this but having you here, with me right now, is all I want."

Max looked to her right, noted the intense storm on the ocean then glanced back around at Chloe's worried face.

"I know we should probably get out of here and find shelter somewhere, but I can't help it. I'm just so glad you're here and not raging after me for what... I did..."

"C'mere hippie."

Leveling her gaze with Max, Chloe lowered her head and planted a light kiss on Max's cheek. As Chloe pulled away, her blue eyes softened. Max smiled, happy to be near Chloe for the moment.

"Oh. Right. Before I forget."

Max hiked her thumb over her shoulder at Nathan. He didn't move. He sat still on the bench, observed their reunion in a glum silence and didn't try to insert himself in their conversation until he saw an opportunity that would favor him. For now, he settled for watching them.

"I believed Nathan's story by the way..."

Trailing off, Max ran her hands down Chloe's arms then tugged Chloe forward with surprisingly strength that caught Chloe off guard. Max briefly rubbed the tips of their noses together then burrowed her way back under Chloe's chin.

"But only because I was on the outside of the bathroom door and overheard everything you told him. I figured if it was all true, then the events you mentioned would fall into place and sure enough, they did. Rachel was found at Pan Estates that very day, Mr. Jefferson got busted on Tuesday and Nathan didn't cause any problems. I stayed in my dorm, did my homework like usual but when I noticed the signs of a storm coming and you had yet to make an appearance, I got worried. I almost went out to look for you, but Nathan stopped me, told me to wait until today. Chloe, what's going on with you? Why do you have this strange power? What's it for anyway?"

As much as Chloe wanted to celebrate seeing Max alive and well and answer all her lovely questions, she fell silent for a moment and her eyes narrowed in frustration and in anger as a minor detail came to her mind.

_If Max is here and Rachel is at the hospital, is she still in danger of being killed off? I was sure I fixed everything this time. Nathan's even here and not being shipped off to the loony bin so why did the storm still come? Is it totally hopeless? Is there no escaping the madness?_

Chloe's eyes met and locked with Nathan's. His cautious expression mixed in with the silent signals he was throwing her told Chloe she was far from done. Taking a deep breath, Chloe put Max at arm's length and shook her head as if to say she didn't have time explain.

"Don't even worry about that right now Max. I'm just glad you're alive this time."

Chloe's arms dropped down to her sides and she nodded her head in Nathan's direction to acknowledge him.

"You did what I asked. For that, you have my deepest thanks and gratitude."

Nathan stood up, ignored the fierce winds beating against his skin, face and ruffling his clothes widely about and went over to stand beside Max. He crossed his arms and slanted his head to the side and the look he gave her was so intense, Chloe actually became a little nervous.

"Spare me your formalities. What I want to know is A, why did you kiss me and B, are these two idiots really worth all of this destruction, Chloe?"

At the crude remark, Max glanced at Nathan then back at Chloe's narrowing eyes. Just when Max was going to investigate and see who Nathan was talking about, Chloe stepped up to Nathan, grabbed Max's hand and tugged her backwards, putting Max behind her back.

"Yes."

She answered without hesitation.

"They are. And so are you."

"I don't know. Everyone is currently dying or will die and here we are, semi-safe and sound in the middle of a hurricane outside of a lighthouse."

Nathan stole a quick peek at the hurricane.

"I mean, our friends and family are probably dead by now. No thanks to you and your freaky super powers."

Nathan faked clapped, rubbing in the obvious.

"Way too go Price. You're such a natural at this save the world thing, you should get a Oscar for it."

Chloe's features hardened.

"You know what Nathan?"

She growled, arching an eyebrow.

"If anyone should be happy to see their family die brutally at the hands of a storm, it should be you. Nathan you should be  _thanking me_  for this, not  _criticizing_ me!"

" _Thank_ you?!"

Nathan exclaimed, then pointed an accusing finger at Chloe's face.

"For  _what?!_ You messed up the town!"

"I saved your sorry-"

"Yes. You did."

Nathan cut in, agreeing with her.

"But what's the point if I don't have home to go to when it's all said and done?!"

Nathan leaned in at the same time Chloe did and both clenched angry fists at their sides. Now they were in each other's face and Nathan didn't hesitate to raise his arm and jab his finger into Chloe's shoulder. Her shoulder flinched and was pushed back by Nathan's poke. Unaffected by his aggression, Chloe reached out and grabbed Nathan by the scruff of his shirt and clung to it as tight as she could. Both teens glared hatefully at the other and they forgot about Max, blinded by their anger.

"I gave you justice for all things your dad put you through and got you out of a bad situation with Mark. And  _this_  is how you thank me?"

Nathan threw his arms up and let out a loud, noisy sigh.

"I didn't ask for you to destroy my home now did I?!"

Feeling Max about to open her mouth and raise her hand to be seen, Chloe and Nathan lifted their hands and thrust them in her direction, stopping her from going on.

"Not now Max!"

They barked and just like that, Max closed her mouth and her hand went down.

"Nathan you're making it really hard for me not to hit you right now."

Nathan scoffed, almost humored by the threat.

"Go ahead. It wouldn't be the first time I've gotten hit by someone."

Releasing a frustrated cry, Chloe jerked her head towards the storm. Nathan and Max followed her gaze and all the teens could hear the destruction taking place, including sirens going off in the distance.

"So, the town got a bomb dropped on it and now it's shattered glass."

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Like it was ever going to do something powerful for us poor people."

Chloe let go of Nathan's shirt and thrust him roughly away from her. She closed her eyes, hating how the painful drops of rain splashed against her eyelids. When she felt calm enough to try talking again, Chloe opened her eyes but only half way. She crossed her arms and kept her back to the other teens and bowed her head, instantly deep in thought. Nathan stood there, insulted that Chloe was giving him the cold shoulder but the spark he had earlier was gone now, replaced with a quiet weariness. Shaking his head just slightly, Nathan walked back over to the bench and sat down in silence. With her lover quiet, Chloe turned around and faced Max. Max rubbed at her arm, unsure of what she should do. She felt so awkward and out of place and it wasn't just her knowledge about Chloe's power. It was waiting to see what Chloe was going to do in their current reality with that power, that had Max worried.

"Max, I love you. I love you so much I'd bring the stars and moon for you and Rachel but Nathan's right. All I've done is take our home away and caused a spiral of confusing events and problems for all of us. You know what? It's okay if you wanna yell at me too. I won't blame you for wanting me out of your life."

Max blinked then gradually grinned. It was such a gentle brokenness Chloe almost had to look away from her. Chloe knew Max was trying to cheer her up, but she did was make her feel worse.

"Come on. That's not the fearless Captain Bluebeard of Arcadia Bay I know. Chloe, I trust you'll make the right choice for us all so, don't worry about me or what this storm is doing. Focus on what's important for you, okay?"

Chloe visibly cringed at the suggestion.

"I don't know what's important for me anymore. I've been so busy trying to help you guys I lost my own desires a long time ago."

Max looked down in motion with Chloe for a few seconds. When they raised their heads in silence Chloe noticed that tenderness of her approval was still there with a pinch of something else that made Chloe's stomach knot up.

"For whatever scientific, mystical reason I'm sure we'll never figure out, you were given this wonderful gift."

Max reached down and gathered Chloe's hand that contained the power into her own hand and gave it a hard, reassuring squeeze.

"And despite all your trails and setbacks, I believe we were meant to be together, in this exact moment in history in this reality. But I think we need to clam down, stop blaming each other and work together here."

Max shot Nathan a warning look, daring him to defy her. He rolled his eyes and glanced pointedly in the opposite direction. He didn't want to admit that Max was right so he kept his mouth shut and let the women carry on with their banter while he occupied himself with nature's destructive qualities.

"We need to carefully go over what brought us here and understand why we're here today."

"Okay Max. I'm listening."

Max let go of Chloe's hand and Chloe and Nathan watched Max go over to the plague. She surveyed the damage for a few seconds then turned to the other teens.

"Tell us  _everything_ from the beginning but be quick about it."

Max quickly gesture to right where the hurricane dancing through the entire city.

"As I'm not sure if we're safe out here and might need to find shelter somewhere."

Nodding, Chloe filled them in on her crazy life from day one in the original reality at the start of the week, explained what happened in the alternate reality between her and Nathan to how she tried to correct her mistake in the current reality and why it was so important for her to save everyone she loved. Max understood Chloe's reasons, but Nathan couldn't. He kept his personal feelings inside because he didn't want to add to the tension he and Chloe already had built up.

"Wowser. Chloe you've had to go through a lot just to get to me and keep me alive."

Max muttered, rubbing at her neck guiltily. Even with solid explanation, Nathan struggled wrap his mind around every word that fell from Chloe's mouth. It wasn't that he didn't believe her, but it was still a lot to process. In the end, he remained silent and choose to think that he could be a better person that came to love Chloe. So much that he was willing to support her, their child and go so far as to marrying her, just to show William that he was serious. It was... concerning as much as it was astonishing. Frowning, Nathan wiped his arm across his forehead, smearing the beads of ice cold rain drops that were pooling across his eyebrows.

_Everything she told me on Monday did happen. She knew about Mark and where I was hiding Rachel. And to top it off, she also talked about my past with my father. Even if I didn't want to believe any of this, how do I dismiss that one? No one knows about that, not even my sister and I tell her everything._

Nathan leaned back into the bench and placed both of his hands on his knees, feeling that it was time for a mental break. Just as Nathan was about to suggest that they all find shelter and take the information in strides, Nathan's eyes bulged and widened when the obvious thought struck him upside the head.

 _Wait. Chloe told me on Monday she_ _ **loved** _ _me and she came back to save_ _ **me** _ _._

Nathan's eyes squinted. He wasn't sure why he was taking that seriously now, all things considered and their lives possibly on the brink of death, but he blamed Chloe causing him in the other reality to fall in love with her. Evidently, his flame for Chloe was still there, buried deep inside of him. That would explain the random pangs of his heart fluttering when he found himself thinking about her during week and explain why he couldn't sleep at night when his mind brought her face to his mind. Such as their kiss in the girl's bathroom and all the excitements it gave his body. But that didn't mean that he loved her in that way, did it?

Now Chloe's confession was bugging him, like a fly buzzing behind his ears, loud and whirring, just out of reach. He and Chloe were like oil and water. They didn't go together and being in a physical relationship in another reality must have been confusing at first but in the end, he was going to marry her, so it couldn't have been that terrible.

"I hate to say it but, I think we're here because of  _me_ , not because of  _you_. I'm the reason you've been hopping through time and now we're here, in the thicket of it all and I don't know how to feel about it to be honest."

Max's intrusion snapped Nathan out of his troubled thoughts and he trailed his troubled gaze over to where she was standing in front of Chloe and quietly watched them talk for the moment.

Chloe gave Max a tired, weary smile.

"So  _what_  if we're here because of you? I wanted to save you and Rachel in one go. Is that so wrong?"

Max's eyebrows knitted together and she hesitated with her response. Feeling his piercing stare, Max dared to crane her neck and shared a look with Nathan then glanced back around at Chloe.

"I don't... know. People are dead because of me. I just don't see the logic in what you're doing if it was going to wind up making the town suffer."

Max glanced between Chloe and Nathan's face, fearing they would jump her over different reasons, none of which would make her feel good about herself.

"Not that I'm no grateful you did all of this for me Chloe. I am."

Max insisted, reaching up to push gently against Chloe's shoulder in admiration.

"I just hope... you don't regret your decision. You know, you could always change it I suppose if you wanted to."

Chloe looked down at Max's hand resting on her shoulder then up at her face.

"Max, what are saying?"

Max lowered her hand away from Chloe's shoulder and took a cautious step away from her.

"I'm saying if you go back in time, to Monday and let me die... then all of this-"

"No!"

Chloe barked, startling both teens with the authority in her voice.

"No way. I did  _not_  sacrifice Rachel and jeopardize my health just to reset again Max. "

Chloe rubbed her eyes, wiping away the hot tears mixed with rain off her face.

"Don't ask me to make that choice Max. It's  _so_  hella not fair."

Chloe sighed, shoulders heavy with anxiety and reflection. She turned away from them and with a soft groan, decided it was definitely time for them to drop the conversation before Max's moral code of right dictated her choice to keep things as they were, or to rewind and gamble her life in the process.

"You still have that picture of the blue jay on your phone right?"

Max asked the question seemingly out of nowhere. Biting back a bitter hiss, Chloe laughed softly, damp blue tresses waving with the gentle motion. The harsh winds, the loud cries of the dying city below the lighthouse rang high into the night, making Chloe's guilt rise. She quickly ran the suggestion through her mind until there was nothing left but an echo of doubt. Feeling more tears spill from the corners of her eyes, Chloe finally turned around and faced the other teens. Nathan was up off the bench and now and coming over to stand beside Max. The two of them, side by side, looking at her with eyes that reflected such emotion and intensity made Chloe's remaining will shatter into a thousand pieces. She swallowed a lump of apprehension and felt her confidence waver.

"You wanted to know if I would have regrets ,right?"

Chloe muttered then a second later, the corner of her lips quirked into a lopsided grin and she reached into her jacket's coat pocket to withdraw her smartphone. Max watched her do this with great interest, inwardly a wreck at the anticipation of what Chloe was going to do. Nathan wasn't as desperate but he was curious to see how Chloe would "fix" their situation once and for all. That's what all of this was boiling down to and he really wanted to see what she would do and why.

"I could easily take the picture that's on this phone."

Chloe began slowly, her voice dropping an octave.

"Use my power and go back to that moment in history and change it with blind hope that the outcome we're seeing here would cease to exist."

After a moment, Chloe raised an eyebrow and shot the other two a fierce, heated look. One that screamed defiance and raw rebellion at its best.

"But I don't want that or I'll live the worst regret of my life."

Max and Nathan had the same reaction. Their eyes widened and their mouths gradually fell open. Chloe used that to her advantage. Facing the cliff, Chloe stepped back and without further hesitation, she hurled the smartphone as fast and hard as she could over the cliff.

"Chloe!"

Max exclaimed, reaching out at the air in the direction of the object, somehow thinking if she did it would magically reappear.

"I'm not letting you go anymore Max. We'll wait out this storm, the three of us together and see what comes of it."

Chloe muttered, blinking the tears out of her eyes then walked towards the them. The teens caught their breath feeling Chloe's strong arms cave around them. Chloe bowed her head between their necks and increased her grip around their waists.

"If Rachel is dead, if mom and David are dead, if anyone we knew from Blackwell is dead, so be it. I'm  _not_  going to go back anymore. I think I finally learned my lesson about all of this."

Max wrapped her free dangling arm around Chloe's left side and Nathan, surprisingly did the same to her right.

"And what would that be?"

Max questioned softly, not really wanting Nathan to hear her. Chloe shrugged lazily, turned her head and whispered into her ear just loud enough to where Max could hear her.

"That no matter what I try to alter or how many realities I create, I can't stop fate and I can't save everyone. And sometimes, crap happens and people die. Sometimes, people who should live, don't."

Chloe closed her eyes, instantly seeing an image of her father's smiling face flash in her mind.

"And people who should die, live."

Chloe leaned back and titled her head into the side of Nathan's and out of habit, gave him an affectionate nuzzle. Max saw it and put the meaning together. She couldn't exactly agree with Chloe's choice to choose her over hundreds of others, but she still could respect Chloe's reasons to do it.

"What about Rachel?"

Nathan asked, surprisingly Chloe by leaning into her and attempting to prod her back.

"Well."

Chloe sighed, letting them go and stepping back to put some space between them.

"I guess we'll find out when we drive by the hospital won't we? If anyone should make it through this terror, it would be the people at the hospital. They did in the previous reality but lost power. Here's hoping that's all that happened."

"So what do we do in the mean time?"

Max asked.

"Do we find shelter or-"

"We'll camp out in my truck at the bottom of the hill and... and..."

Chloe's body officially had lost all its remaining energy and was forcing her to shut down and rest. Not only did she get a nose bleed, she swayed, lost balance and her knees gave out. Max started to catch her but Nathan's swift reflexes beat her to it.

"I got her. Back off Caulfield."

Max's cocked her head and crossed her arms, amazed that Nathan was getting an attitude with her now, right in the middle of a storm.

"Really?"

"Yes. Really."

Nathan simply remarked with a thoughtful nod then gave her a quick, degrading once-over with his narrowed eyes.

"Hasn't she done enough for you already? Let me have this moment, okay? For God's sake, she sacrificed our hometown for you and Rachel. Enough already... let her focus on someone else for a change."

Instead of taking offense, Max took a defensive stance and tapped her chin with a finger, as if to consider the request.

"All right. But you're not sleeping in her truck with me. You can sleep in yours."

Nathan gathered Chloe up into his arms like a gentleman, straightened his posture and quietly started for the path that would take him down the hill.

"Fine with me. Now let's get out of this rain before we catch cold and wind up having to keep each other warm."

"Yeah?"

Max drawled, starting to follow after him.

"I bet you'd like that wouldn't you?"

Nathan smirked after the words Max's her mouth, a little startled at her suggestive tone.

"You heard her talk about our past lives in an alternate reality. You tell me."

Nathan smoothly interjected, raising his eyebrow to let the other woman who was now walking beside him, wanting Max to catch it so she knew the hint was not lost on him.

"Down boy. Save it for your honeymoon that you guys never got to book. And as much as you wouldn't like it, I would go with you guys just to spite you. But you know the old saying three's a crowd? I don't want to make it awkward."

Nathan glanced down at Chloe, deciding to go along with it before raising his focused gaze on what was in front of him. Shrugging, he responded kindly,

"If you ask me nicely, I might convince Chloe to let you."

Max inhaled, catching the faint amusement in his voice.

"I was joking. I wouldn't want to ruin what could be a decent future between the two of you. But that being said, does this mean you still have feelings for her?"

"When we get to her truck, we need to clean the blood from her nosebleed off of her before it dries."

Nathan dodged the question, trying to steer the conversation towards more neutral ground. Max concealed her disappointment, not surprised he didn't want to admit the obvious she had suspected ever since Chloe finished telling them what happened.

"Yeah."

Max grumbled, stuffing wet, slick hands into her pockets.

"We should."

The next few hours were spent watching over Chloe and trying to sleep through the discomfort of the storm. Nathan stayed pent up in his truck and was no help to Max at all. He got Chloe tucked in her truck and while Max found something to wipe off the blood from Chloe's nosebleed, he started the truck and turned on the heat. Afterwards he returned to his truck and kept a steady eye on nature's activities. It wasn't an hour later, Chloe's heater quit working and Max was forced to ask Nathan for help. His truck had heat and she couldn't pack Chloe by herself. Chloe was dead weight and muscle for the most part. Nathan rolled his eyes but hot out of his truck and came to Max's rescue. The downside of piling into his truck was the fact of sharing the cab space with Max. Chloe was stretched out comfortably in the back and eventually her deep breath turned into snoring. Neither teen upfront minded but Chloe's snoring was usually loud and as a result, she kept them awake so they didn't sleep at all.

"So... do you love her?"

Max asked, not letting her resolve go.

"Because she's made it pretty clear she still loves you, Nathan."

Nathan had one hand on the steering wheel and the other was flopped across his stomach. He was quiet for so long, Max genuinely thought he had nodded off but then, his soft voice cut the silence. The response he gave was not what Max was expecting but his tone suggested that there was something there.

"No... the me that loved her in the alternate reality and the me in this reality, isn't the same guy. Sorry to get her hopes up."

Max tilted her head against the warm glass and gazed out the window with a sad, disappointed look on her face.

"I... see."

Max shut her eyes, took a deep breath then exhaled slowly through her nostrils.

"Goodnight. I'm going to try and sleep."

Nathan didn't reply to Max. He continued to sit there, long into the stormy night, lost deep in thought. Eventually, his eyes struggled to keep open and the combination of Max and Chloe's breathing and snoring meshed together, turning into a reasonable sound Nathan could stand to hear. He allowed himself to fall asleep and didn't think to worry about if the truck would run out of gas in the middle of the night. For now, they were warm and their clothes were drying out. Tomorrow would mark the consequences of Chloe's actions. Something Nathan wasn't so sure she was ready to face, despite her bravado from earlier. And if he was going to be completely honest with himself, Nathan wasn't sure if he was ready to face it either. Chloe choosing to keep the current reality meant more than checking on Rachel at the hospital. It also meant, her feelings for him were permanent and they weren't going anywhere. It was his feelings that were struggling to leave or stay.

 

* * *

Rachel lived as did several other people who were at the hospital. The tragic news of the confirmed dead bodies on the TV the four teens observed closely on the news at the hospital was depressing to hear. Several of their classmates were killed, even the people Chloe didn't like. Kate was already at the hospital because during the week before the storm hit, she almost committed suicide. If it wasn't for the courageous acts of David, Kate would have lost her life. He would have been happy to learn Kate and the others were safe and sound at the hospital if he had lived. Joyce and the people who sought shelter at Two Whales Diner were in rough shape when they were found and taken to the hospital. After a shower, some touch ups and a warm meal, the survivors were fine. This also included, people like Warren, Frank, a homeless woman, a trucker and Evan. Seeing the remnant of their peers at the hospital did wonders for Kate and Max personally. Rachel didn't engage with anyone that much, as she was still recovering from being under so much drug usage. The second Nathan saw that his father and mother had been found and were no longer among the living, he felt nothing but relief. His time at the hospital wasn't long, he left two weeks after arriving and told Chloe once she got squared out, to come to the shelter the National Guard opened up town, so they could talk more in depth about their past. Chloe assured Nathan she would but wasn't going to leave Max or Rachel's side until they were allowed to leave the hospital.

A bonus to being alive and bed bound, Rachel was forced to remain still when her real mother came into the hospital room with her father and Rose. Rachel was glad to see her family was alive but not so happy to have to relive the moment of meeting Sera again and acting like she didn't know anything. At least this time, her father  _admitted_ the truth about keeping Sera's letters from her and was trying to keep Sera away from Rachel prior to the storm wrecking Arcadia Bay. Even though Rachel had met her real mother several other times in other realities, their reunion wasn't short of bliss, she just hated to have to go through the motions and pretend in general. Sera stayed with Rachel and slowly built up the start of a relationship and James allowed it. Had he not, Rachel would have asked him to leave her room but made sure Rose and Sera remained. The Ambers reunion was one of the few positives in those passing weeks. Joyce and Chloe reconnected and had a small memorial service for David when his body was discovered in the rubble of the city. Max attended the memorial, as did Rachel, Kate and anyone else who wanted to come and show their respect to his passing. Joyce's house was in one piece. The only damage that she could find was the backyard had some heavy branches scattered about, piled up on each other. The phone lines were down so Joyce used her cell phone to call Max's parents and let them know she, Chloe and Max were safe but David was gone. Vanessa was broken for Joyce and told Joyce if she needed a place to stay, she and Chloe could come live with them until things got sorted out in Arcadia Bay. Joyce took Vanessa up on this offer. Chloe choose to remain behind with Rachel, Max and Nathan at the shelter up town but promised to keep in touch. Joyce agreed to those terms and let the teens do what they felt they needed to do. She gave Chloe some money in case she needed to travel outside of Arcadia Bay but kept enough to catch a bus to Seattle.

One evening, Chloe took Rachel to the lighthouse, a little anxious to get away from the loudness of the shelter up town. She turned off the truck, got out, expecting Rachel to follow her. Rachel wasn't sure what to think of Chloe's impulse to leave the shelter. But since they were at the lighthouse, she made the most of it and eventually opened the passenger door and slid out of the truck. Chloe hadn't talked to anyone much since her mother left for Settle. As Rachel walked around the truck and towards the shoreline by the bottom of the hill, Rachel thought to send a quick text to Max and Nathan, just so they knew where they were if either of them came looking for Chloe.

Content with herself for informing their friends, Rachel put her cell phone away and looked ahead, eyes scanning the area for Chloe. She found her sitting on the log, facing the beach, head bowed, eyes closed. Chloe had dark rings under her eyes, her hair was messy under her beanie cap and her define sag in posture marked her exhaustion.

_Heh. Totally the power taking its toll. I remember those days when I had the power. They sucked. I wonder what she's feeling right now?_

Rachel casually approached Chloe and made sure to keep her movement soft. Chloe appeared to be sleeping but Rachel couldn't tell until she got closer. If Chloe was asleep, Rachel didn't want to wake her up. Despite trying to be stealthy, Chloe could hear Rachel's approaching footsteps but made little effort to stir herself. Chloe intended to keep her eyes shut but they fluttered open halfway, just enough to where you could see them when she felt Rachel sit down beside on the log and snake her arm around her waist. Turning her head just slightly, Chloe watched Rachel cuddle impossibly closer as she rested her chin on Chloe's shoulder. Rachel closed her eyes, parted her mouth and took a deep breath through her nose. Leaning over, Rachel gently pressed her lips to Chloe's cheek. She let them linger for a moment then pulled away and went back to resting her chin on Chloe's shoulder. Chloe's eyes widened in surprise, but then they gradually resumed their relaxed size.

"Rachel?"

Chloe whispered, turning to Rachel. Rachel's quiet and steady breathing was very soothing and Chloe found herself listening to it as a way to help herself relax.

"Rachel, did I… make the right choice?"

Chloe hesitantly asked, nuzzling Rachel's cheek affectionately with her own.

"I saved everyone I loved but Arcadia Bay was still destroyed. I finally found you and you're here with me, after six months of searching, jumping through time and space, I finally have you to myself. Max is here to stay too and Nathan? Well… Nathan's fine but he seems so distant with me. He doesn't agree with my choice. Max didn't really either but I did what I felt was right. But if that's true..."

Trialing off, Chloe frowned but kept her cheek pressed against Rachel's.

"Why does this victory feel so… empty? Why does the one success I've achieved in my life, make me sick to my stomach? I fixed everything that needed fixing and did my best, so why am I so sad and miserable on the inside? Why am I-"

Rachel raised her hand and pressed her finger against Chloe's lips, silencing her.

"I can't say whether you made the right choice or not, but I'm proud of you."

That wasn't the response Chloe was expecting. She looked straight ahead and stared at the roaring waves of the ocean, contemplating on what Rachel had just said.

"You're… proud of me?"

She asked, arching an eyebrow slowly.

"Yes."

Rachel confirmed, lifting her head to give Chloe a quick prodding.

"I am."

"How? I screwed up quite a bit before I figured out what to do and how to correct my mistakes. I-"

Again, Rachel cut Chloe off. Only this time, she lifted her hand and cupped the side of Chloe's face and opened her eyes to look at her.

"Chloe."

She whispered.

"Never mind all of that. Why don't we focus on the positives for a change?"

Chloe leaned into her touch, putting them nose-to-nose just about.

"Positives?"

Chloe asked, smirking at the same time with Rachel.

"Yes. Like me for example."

Chloe scoffed lightly, not surprised that Rachel was using herself as a distraction.

"Why you? Shouldn't Max or dare I say it, Nathan count for something too? I mean… they were just as much involved in this insanity, right?"

Rachel grinned, leaned around Chloe's face, nipped her ear then tugged on it playfully for dramatic effect. It got a small chuckle out of Chloe and that pacified Rachel for the moment. Releasing the ear, Rachel arched an eyebrow, inviting Chloe to go along with the dance she was creating.

"Aww, but Chloe. We're soulmates and have such wonderful, powerful connections."

Chloe rolled her eyes but smiled to show Rachel she didn't take offense.

"Max is my soulmate too, now come on. I can't just not include her in this. Why does it always have to be about you, Amber?"

Rachel's grin became vicious, daring almost.

"Why not me? Have I or have I not been your main focus this entire time? And don't you dare say no or I'll have to hurt you."

The two teens gave each other a knowing look, one that didn't need words to express itself.

"You."

Chloe breathed, slanting her eyes in motion with Rachel.

"Me."

Rachel remarked, her voice just as soft.

"Are so-"

"In love with you in a non-sexual way? Yeah. I know. Same goes for you, Price."

Rachel finished the sentence, then used her thumb to stroke Chloe's cheek.

"All right. I suppose I can humor you. Want to know what I consider the positive out of all of this?"

Chloe pressed her forehead into Rachel's and brought her hand up to rest on top of Rachel's shoulder.

"What?"

A gentle smile graced Chloe's weary face.

"Being able to look at you."

Chloe pressed down on Rachel's shoulder deliberately and after creating the small pressure, trailed her fingers down her arm.

"Being able to touch you."

Chloe's hand stopped on Rachel's waist. There, she traced invisible designs along Rachel's abdomen.

"And being able to do this."

 

* * *

 **Song:[Youth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEtYDbmnuU8)**  - Daughter

* * *

 

Chloe wrapped both arms around Rachel's shoulders and pulled her closer then blew into the crook of Rachel's neck. Rachel tipped her head back and laughed. She thought Chloe was going to do something romantic, charming at the most. Blowing air bubbles into her neck? Didn't see it coming at all.

 

**Shadows settle on the place, that you left**

**Our minds are troubled by the emptiness**

**Destroy the middle, it's a waste of time**

**From the perfect start to the finish line**

 

On top of the hill, Max stood beside Nathan and together, they watched Chloe and Rachel's exchange with small, amused smiles on their faces. Once they got Rachel's text they, being curious, went out in Nathan's truck to spy. Just for kicks and what they found was adorable and gave them both a small sense of satisfaction. Chloe's happiness was important, not just their own.

 

**And if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones.**

**'Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs**

**Setting fire to our insides for fun**

**Collecting names of the lovers that went wrong**

**The lovers that went wrong**

 

"You okay?"

Max asked, glancing over at the other teen beside her. Raising his hands high, Nathan brought them down and tucked them neatly behind his head. Considering what all Chloe had done to get to him and what she sacrificed just so he could have a fresh start, Nathan found himself grinning. Max watched how his eyes sparkled mischievously as he continued to gaze at the one woman who managed to tame him and couldn't help but grin with him.

"You have it so bad for her. Admit it."

 

**We are the reckless,**

**We are the wild youth**

**Chasing visions of our futures**

**One day we'll reveal the truth**

**That one will die before he gets there**

 

Nathan dropped his arms and turned to Max, his grin still plastered on his face.

"Hmph."

He snorted.

"I don't know what you're talking about and for the record, I'm fine with them catching up. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh I don't. Maybe because you asked her if we were worth it and didn't seem very happy about her choice to embrace us over the town."

Nathan shrugged, not denying the remainder Max brought up.

"Yeah well. You weren't happy about it. They're fine, okay Caulfield? With Chloe comes Rachel and you. If I ever become more than just a friend to Chloe in the future, I need to get used to guys being in her life too."

Nathan pointed off to the side to the path that would lead down the hill and away from the lighthouse.

"Want to go to go back to the shelter now? They're serving gumbo tonight."

Max wasn't terribly close to Nathan. Never had been. But considering everything she had been through and everything Nathan had experienced since learning about Chloe's gift, what did it matter anymore? If there was a time to make amends and start over, tonight would be it.

"Sure. Why not?"

Max politely gestured for Nathan to step forward and take point. Smirking, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to descend down the trail. Raising an amused eyebrow, Max watched Nathan saunter off. She started to follow in behind him, but stopped suddenly and turned back around. She returned to the edge and gazed down at her friends on the rock.

"And Chloe says Rachel can't keep her hands off her? From where I'm standing, it's the other way around. I hope they get a chance to catch up. God knows they deserve it after everything they've suffered."

Trailing off, Max backed away from the lookout spot then took off running down the path to catch up with Nathan. When she reached the bottom, Max was surprised to see that Nathan had actually stopped to wait for her. He watched Max approach him, then he faced forward as she came up beside him and together, they headed for his truck in a content silence.

 

**And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones**

**'Cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone**

**We're setting fire to our insides for fun**

**Collecting pictures from a flood that wrecked our home,**

**It was a flood that wrecked this home**

 

Deep within the spiritual realm, sitting on his elegant, elemental glowing throne, Tubunga watched Chloe and Rachel through what appeared to be a transparent cloud of footage. He tilted his head to the side and blinked his slit eyes slowly and frowned in disgust seeing Chloe and Rachel give each other affection and took careful note of how they called and responded to each other. Their beauty was desirable to him in every way and quite something to observe, but their victory over his attempts to destroy them both insulted and repulsed him. It seemed like no matter how many times he came to visit mankind in Arcadia Bay, the humans kept failing his expectations. He wanted chaos, total insanity to fest in their lives and utter darkness to consume the world. There were so many generations that Tubunga had successfully corrupted but this current one was proving to be quite vexing.

 

**And you caused it,**

 

The scenery Tubunga observed shifted over to the raven that acted as his messenger and overseer. The raven flapped its wings powerfully as he flew high over the landscape of Arcadia bay, cawing loudly as he ventured from place to place. Tubunga rose up off his throne and walked through the transparent cloud.

 

**And you caused it,**

 

He left his throne room and ventured outside to the balcony. Tubunga gradually raised his arm and outstretched his hand towards the red moon. The portal that connected the raven to both worlds. No sooner after he did this, his companion, the raven, flew through the red room and loomed closer to the twisted structure that served as Tubunga's fortress.

 

**And you caused it**

 

The raven cawed as he dove down at alarming speed and perched on Tubunga's wrist. Lowering his wrist down to eye level, Tubunga glanced down at the animals walking to and from at the foot of his fortress.

 

**Well I've lost it all, I'm just a silhouette,**

 

The deer lowered its head down by an eerie green ocean's shoreline where a sickly whale sang its song to the deer. The deer listened to the whale's song, strangely amused by its charms. The butterfly hovered happily near the face of the blue jay, who was perched on a rock near the same shoreline.

 

**A lifeless face that you'll soon forget,**

**My eyes are damp from the words you left,**

**Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest**

**Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest**

 

Tubunga and raven watched the animals for a long moment, then Tubunga raised his other hand and twirled one finger, forming the transparent cloud out of nothing. Before his narrowing slit eyes, he continued to watch Chloe lean closer to Rachel and kiss her forehead. Chloe allowed herself to linger a little, then brushed her lips down the side of her soulmate's face, delighting in the high it gave her. Rachel gasped softly when Chloe gently nibbled at her ear. Chloe couldn't get enough of the girl next to her and it was painfully obvious to Tubunga where her loyalty lied and it wasn't with him. Tugging Rachel impossibly closer, Chloe nuzzled Rachel and whispered sweet holy nothings in her ear. Hearing Rachel sigh in contentment was all the conformation Chloe needed. It was also all the motivation Tubunga needed to reset their foolish lives over, again.

 

**And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one,**

**'Cause most of us are bitter over someone**

**Setting fire to our insides for fun,**

**To distract our hearts from ever missing them**

**But I'm forever missing him**

 

_"I love you."_

Tunbunga cringed hearing those three words fall from Chloe's lips.

_"Yeah."_

Rachel exhaled softly by Chloe's ear then smirked.

_"I know. The feeling is mutual. I love you too."_

Tubunga scoffed in disgust, hating how easily a human fell victim to that emotion. He couldn't stand how it made them so clingy, weak and vulnerable around each other.

 

**And you caused it,**

 

Tubunga thrust the raven off his wrist, launching him high into the air. The raven knew what he was supposed to do, so he went back through the red moon that would take him back into the physical realm.

 

**And you caused it,**

 

"The animals will bow to me. One way or another they will return to me. I don't bless them with my power, just so they waste it on unnecessary things like love and friendship. I'll have my empire. If I can't have them all under my control, doing my bidding then they can't have each other!"

Tubunga growled, giving the transparent cloud one last final glare. As he turned around, the animals that were peacefully enjoying each other's company below his balcony, suddenly let out cries of despair as death breathed over them. The grey squirrel dropped his walnuts and simply stiffened standing upright. The rabbit laid next to a hole on its side with its floppy stained ears covering its face. The brown hawk that sipped from a watering hole deep within the wilderness choked on the water it consumed and toppled forward into the bushes behind it, no longer able to breathe. The whale stopped singing and rolled onto its back and floated aimlessly in the water, far away from the deer. The deer managed to run into the woodland area of the mighty kingdom but took its last breath near a lighthouse structure of sorts. The blue jay and the butterfly laid still on the rock, eyes open but void of any life.

 

**And you caused it**

 

Tubunga clutched at the arm rests of his throne and closed his eyes, focusing deeply. A few seconds later, Tubunga appeared in a new timeline for Arcadia Bay and like usual, he took the form of a Native wooden totem. The very Native wooden totem that resided on the campus outside of the Blackwell dormitory. All the elements surged through his wooden shell, highlighting every paint marking and grooves of the wood. The black raven landed on top of the Native wooden totem and looked directly at the parking lot. It waited for a rusted, beat down truck to pull up and a blue haired rebel to hop out with missing posters of a beautiful green eyed girl that mysteriously went missing six months ago. The second a gunshot went off in the girl's bathroom the raven threw it's head back and summoned forth Tubunga's power. That same power that rose up out of the Native wooden totem, rushed through the air, through the window of the bathroom and into the geeky, freckled face girl who just happened to reach out and scream,

"No!"

With that one statement, Tubunga's new game began in the body of the deer. She had been chosen and given a powerful gift. Would she use her new acquired power selfishly as he desired or would she be foolish like the blue jay had been and wind up dead? Or would she try to play the hero like the butterfly and try to save everyone? The raven would keep a steady eye on her and be sure to report the deer's actions to him by October 11th.

* * *

 

    

 

Congratulations! You have reached the ending to **Wise**! Was it the ending what you were expecting? Didn't care for the greater good vibe that outlawed all evil and selfish consequences? Not feeling the whole deity being the criminal mastermind behind the curse? Well, never fear. If you're not satisfied with the choices you discovered in Wise, rewind and go back to the beginning of the saga. Perhaps Reckless will change the way you view Arcadia Bay? Will you love it or hate it? In Reckless, it's untelling what you will discover and what your reading experience will become as you progress through each episode. If you have already read Reckless, look for special bonus episodes in the Unbreakable series that will be released in the future. The special bonus episodes will have a W or a R at the end of the title, to connect the reader to that route from  _Chosen_.

**\--AW Staff**


	12. Episode 2: Sidekick (R)

**Monday, October 7th**

* * *

 

Chloe walked towards the school and increased her strides with each step. She quietly entered the building, careful not to draw David's attention or anyone else who might be patrolling the hallways. Seeing that the coast was clear, Chloe went into the girl's bathroom and instantly started to retrace her steps. Her heart was racing, and she was panting softly from the strain of pushing herself to make it to the bathroom before Nathan and Max came in.

_This is what happens when I binge on weed and get the munchies over long periods of time. Gonna have to watch that or I might need to lay off._

Centering herself, Chloe passed a few sinks then turned to the sink that had a graffiti sketch of thick red glasses with a mustache under it drawn on the mirror.

_Dang. This crap is really happening. If I focus on how and why, I'm gonna freak myself out and I need to focus on saving Max first. So, I need to retrace every step. Lemme see here..._

Chloe glanced around, taking in her surroundings. Humming softly to herself, Chloe started towards the end of the stalls, making sure to take mental notes of her progress.

_I came into the bathroom, passed the window and then a-_

As Chloe was walking the blue jay she snapped from before flew in through the window and landed on the mop bucket behind the stall.

_That blue jay came in and I took a photo on my phone._

Chloe quickly approached the blue jay on the mop bucket and reached for her smartphone. She swiftly withdrew and took the shot in the exact same angle as before. Afterwards, she clutched at her beanie with her hands and quietly began to pace back and forth behind the stall. Nathan hadn't shown up yet and she was getting restless. Chloe wanted to stop Nathan from shooting Max as quickly as possible, the question was how was she going to do it without exposing herself and risk getting shot herself? If she died, good-bye time power and if that happened, Max would also die and that was something Chloe didn't want to see happen. Not again.

_I can do this. I have power._

Chloe stopped pacing and stood directly in front of the fire alarm and stared down at the hand she used to rewind time with. She flexed the fingers gently, amazed that under her pale skin was some kind of supernatural force of nature, just waiting to be released. Raising her head, Chloe peeked her head around the stall, curious to see if the other teens had come in but sadly, there was still no sign of Nathan or Max. Sighing, Chloe returned to her hiding spot behind the stall, her expression grim and very focused.

"Nah. I  _have_ to do this. My best friend's life is on the line."

Chloe pushed her bangs out of her eyes and placed her hand over her chest.

_This is... dude, I dunno how to explain how I feel right now. I tested it three different times and each time I did it, everything was reversed. I have to save her. I just have to. If I fail and lose Max on top of Rachel I dunno what I'll do. I-_

Chloe's distressed thoughts were cut off by the sharp hissing of Nathan's voice.

"Listen here  _wench_. What you saw last night, you're going to forget as of right now. Got it? You don't tell the principal, your peers, the police, your parents, nobody! Or I'll destroy you!"

Hearing the threat made the hair rise on the back of Chloe's neck. Fearful of what was going to happen next, Chloe blinked and carefully stole a glance around the stall then snapped her face forward when she saw Nathan and Max by the sinks.

_Crap! I got so sidetracked I didn't even hear them come in!_

Even though Chloe couldn't see Max at the moment, Chloe was certain this was the part where Max flipped out and tried her best to get away from Nathan. Or would have until he decided to trap her.

_Oh this sucks! Come on! Come on! I need to do something and fast!_

Chloe's eyes desperately darted around the tight confined space, but she couldn't see anything that could help her. Annoyed, Chloe pressed her lips tightly together, mentally wondering what she should do or how she could remedy the situation before Nathan pulled the trigger.

"N-Nathan stop. I haven't told anyone about what happened, o-okay? But you need to put the gun down before you do something you'll regret."

Knowing what was about to come, Chloe sank to her knees and could physically feel herself starting to break into a cold sweat.

_Come on! What's the use of having this power if I can't save Max?!_

The blue jay was quietly perched on the edge of the mop bucket, watching Chloe frantically look around for something to use. Taking pity on her, the blue jay flew down to the floor and twitched its tail feathers at the sole bottom of the mop bucket. Chloe saw it do this and was unsure of what it was trying to do and just as she was about to reach out and dismiss the creature, her eyes caught glimpse of what appeared to be a handle. It was shadowed by the bottom of the mop bucket but that didn't matter. Without even thinking, she quietly pushed the mop bucket back and her entire face lit up seeing the blunt mallet laying on the floor.

_Haha! Hella yes! Now_ **_that's_ ** _what I'm talking about! I can do some damage with this baby!_

"You're so nosy Max! You couldn't leave well enough, alone could you?! You just had to go out back behind the school and find us. Nobody... Nobody would even miss your geeky stupid face, would they?!"

"I said I wasn't going to tell anybody. You really need to put the gun down and get help Nathan because I promise you, if you don't you're going to get into more trouble over this than some stupid drug deal, so just-"

"Shut up!"

Chloe snatched up the mallet hammer, rose up and quickly stepped around the stall and stealthily, but very quickly, approached Nathan from behind. Max saw her coming, but she was too scared to give Chloe's presence away. Her eyes did scream for Chloe to help her, in spite of her inability to communicate. Nathan didn't notice how Max was staring past him. If he was smart, he would have turned his head to see what it was she was gawking at.

_You're not taking her from me today Nathan. I won't let you._

With a look of sheer determination on her face, Chloe raised her arm high then brought it down over Nathan's head as fast as she could. The blow to Nathan's head was very powerful and managed to stun him so badly, he dropped to the floor in shock. The gun skidded under a stall and there it stayed. With Nathan down, Chloe went for the gun. Max gasped and stared at Chloe with wide eyes, fearing Chloe was going to finish what Nathan started.

"Get out of here Max! Now!"

Hearing the familiar tone in the rocker punk's voice made Max deadpan and do a double take.

"Wait... Chloe? Chloe Price, is that you?"

Chloe went over to retrieve the gun. She could hear Nathan groaning on the floor and mumbling to himself. Afraid he was going to come to his senses, Chloe stood up, gun out and at the ready. Max was terrified of guns. Seeing Chloe with one and pointing the barrel down at Nathan's face, made her very nervous. Although Max wasn't happy that Nathan had used the gun on her and threatened her, she didn't like the dark expression Chloe wore as she aimed the weapon down at his head, either. Chloe used a gun before, Max could tell by the way she gripped the handle of the gun and positioned the gun right at Nathan's temple. One slip of her finger and Nathan was good as dead. A rookie like herself wouldn't of gone for the temple. Max most likely would of just panicked, shot Nathan and not cared where. Chloe clearly understood where to aim and despite being scared out of her mind, Max didn't want Chloe to murder Nathan in cold blood, even it was for her own safety.

"Are you deaf Max?! I said-"

Chloe glanced up and set her fiery gaze on Max. She didn't mean to give her daggers but the whole reason Chloe went ahead and exposed herself was, so she could take the brunt of Nathan's attack, but this didn't mean things still wouldn't get ugly if Nathan decided to do something unpredictable. For all Chloe knew, Nathan could have another gun tucked away somewhere. That one possibility alone, was enough to push Chloe to yell and order Max to leave the bathroom.

"Get out! You need to leave, like right now!"

Nathan had regained enough stamina to withdraw his pocket knife and while Chloe was trying to get Max to move, he quietly and very subtly brought his hand out of his pocket, stealthily pushed his arm out near Chloe's left foot. Without saying anything, he ejected the blade and proceeded to stab Chloe's leg, right above her boot line. His movement caught Max's attention and she reached out to Chloe in desperation.

"Chloe! Move!"

Arching an eyebrow, Chloe's face scrunched in confusion and she actually hesitated with her response. That was all the time Nathan needed to deliver a very painful thrust into Chloe's leg. This action created a domino effect. The feeling of a cold blade digging into her flesh and sliding down her leg, tearing multiple muscles in the process, made Chloe cry out in alarm. In her spiral of uncertainty, Chloe staggered back on her other leg and carelessly jerked her arm to the side, the one with the gun and accidentally fired a round. Everything happened so fast that Max didn't see it coming and if she was going to be honest without her, neither did Chloe. One second, Max was looking straight at Chloe's wide eyes and then her stunned expression. Then out of nowhere, Max experienced an odd sensation, like someone coming over to her and punching her right in the middle of her chest, making an ear-splitting sound.

"Chl...oe..."

Max weakly drawled, her voice barely audible. In motion with Chloe, they looked down at Max's chest and they stared in awe at the noticeable blood stain growing under her pink deer shirt. Max instinctively grabbed at the bullet wound with her hand and as she pressed against it, she fell to her knees against her will, suddenly breathless.

"Max no!"

In her anger, Chloe steadied herself on her good leg, lowered her arm and struck Nathan as hard as she could across his face. This blow knocked him out and instantly, his iron grip around the pocket knife let up and Chloe was able to kick him away from her foot. Chloe took a step towards Max then winced deeply, feeling a sharp pain shoot up her entire leg, rendering her useless for a moment. She tried to go to Max again, but her body forced her to drop to the floor. Hissing through her teeth, Chloe used both of her hands and grabbed at her foot. The area Nathan sliced was throbbing, felt like it was on fire and her blood was everywhere, staining her hands and clothes. Max wasn't doing much better. She hit the floor a good while ago and since then, a small trickle of blood escaped through her lips while a bigger pool gushed from her bullet wound. Chloe hated that Nathan caused her to shoot her best friend and had managed to hurt her too. In her desperation to fix the damage, Chloe raised her hand to rewind, but found she was in too much pain to focus. Her hand dropped, making a fresh stain on the white tiles.

_I just shot my best friend! Dang it, it wasn't supposed to go like this! Max... is she... dead?_

Ignoring Nathan's sprawled out body, Chloe did her best to crawl over to Max on her side with the good leg. She wanted to inspect Max's body for herself, to really see if Max was dead or still among the living. When she was close enough, Chloe left herself lay beside Max. Eventually, Chloe mustered enough strength to use her hands to push herself up. She bit back the urge to scream when she twisted around and moved her legs out in front of her. This action made her damaged muscles in the hurt leg constrict and burn at such an alarming level, Chloe almost started to cry. Pushing through the discomfort, Chloe took hold of Max's face with shaky hands and placed her head gently on her lap.

"Max... hey. Come on, say something."

Chloe wanted to sound louder but the strain from her wound was really messing with her focus.

"Max?"

When Chloe received no response, she gathered Max up into her arms and pressed one hand against the hole in Max's chest. Sensing that someone was trying to help her, Max groaned weakly and her eyes fluttered open just to where you could see them.

"Chloe? Chloe… I-"

"Shhh, don't speak Max. Save your strength."

Chloe muttered, pressing her hand a little harder against the bloody area on Max's chest.

"Is anyone out there?! Someone help! Anybody!"

Through slightly labored breathing, Max reached up and touched Chloe's face with her hand, leaving a faint mark of blood on Chloe's cheek. The contact created a warmth, deep within Chloe. She may have been angry at Max for bailing on her for five years but at the end of the day, Max was her best friend and she had missed her. Being together with her, in that moment refreshed their bond oddly enough. Chloe just wished they could have connected under safer, happier circumstances and not in the bathroom of the school with a crazed lunatic.

"Chloe why? Why are you here, dressed like this? And why did you... save me?"

Max sluggishly moved her head in Nathan's direction, trying to understand her friend's actions.

"Why did I save you? What kind of question is that? You're my soulmate Max. I couldn't let Nathan shoot you. Now shut up, don't say anything. You'll be 'alright, okay? Please, just... don't speak."

Tears were running down both the teens faces. Chloe's tears were justified. She just shot Max and it was eating her up something awful. If she could rewind, she would do it in a heartbeat but that wasn't an option. Whatever was going to come from today's event, was permanent and that pained Chloe more than her own injury and their combined distress. Chloe couldn't understand why Max was crying, outside of the obvious. She had a bullet inside of her, it probably stung and hurt like hell. So why did she look so guilty? It's not like Max could help what happened, it wasn't her fault.

"Listen, if I don't make it-"

Chloe violently shook her head to the side, refusing to let Max finish that statement.

"Shut up! Don't even talk crap like that Max! You're gonna be fine, do you hear me?! You're gonna be just fine!"

"Take my camera bag, get my journal and read it. It will explain why I didn't... keep in contact with you and my... secret."

"Screw secrets and your diary! I just want you to be okay!"

Chloe was sobbing now, and her tears fell right in Max's face. Max blinked her own tears away, not surprised to see doubles of Chloe and her vision starting to blur in and out, like a camera lens. Dropping her hand, Max tipped her head back into Chloe's arm and her breathing pattern shifted.

"Read my journal Chloe."

Max softly insisted, shutting her eyes then gasped and arched involuntarily when she felt the pain from her wound spread to other areas of her body. Forcing herself to relax back down in Chloe's arms, Max faintly remarked up to Chloe,

"And know that I never stopped loving you. Sorry for leaving you and not calling... I'm the worst."

"Don't! Don't you dare say that and leave me like this Maxine Caulfield! Don't you dare!"

Max didn't talk anymore. Everything went black. Chloe screaming her name, was the last thing she heard before her entire body went completely numb.

 

 


	13. Episode 3: Listen (R)

**Thursday October 7 th**

* * *

 

David found Chloe in the bathroom, clinging to Max sobbing uncontrollably as she cradled Max close to her chest and an unconscious Nathan near the sinks. Normally David would scold Chloe for being on school grounds and order her to leave before someone else caught her and turned her in. David was blunt, harsh, organized and a man of order. Anything that operated in chaos drove him up the wall. Chloe was all the things he detested in a person and despite his genuine efforts to bond with her in the past, Chloe pushed him away and firmly established that she would not yield to the likes of him. Their relationship suffered for it and it showed when they were in the same room or had to talk to each other. But for once, David wasn't thinking about any of Chloe's shortcomings. The only thing on his mind, was rushing all those kids to the hospital and getting the mess cleaned up in the girl's bathroom. Integrations could wait. Max was bleeding out. Bad. Chloe was bleeding out too, but she seemed to be hold off at the moment. David knelt down by Chloe, reached for his radio and called for backup, then he contacted the main office, asking for someone to call for ambulance and to do it quickly.

David stayed with Chloe and did his best to calm her down and reassure Chloe that everything was going to be fine. In the short time David spent with Chloe in the bathroom, he learned that the person in Chloe's arms, was her childhood best friend. Chloe left out the part where she accidently shot Max. She nicely let Nathan take that fall and stretched the truth just enough to keep herself out of the problem and told David she hit Nathan with the mallet hammer after Nathan attacked her and then turned around and shot Max. Of course, this was not the true order of what had happened, but David didn't need to know that. No one needed to know. All that mattered, was making Nathan pay for what he had done to her and to Max. David was inclined to believe Chloe but he wasn't so sure if he could fully trust Chloe's story. He pointed out if Nathan was the one behind the attacks, why was he out cold on the floor with a nasty bruise on his face, a painful knot on the back of his head while she had the gun on her, tucked away in her back pocket. Afraid he was onto her, Chloe quickly inserted that she was in the bathroom putting up missing posters for Rachel, heard Nathan come in and threaten Max, knocked him out with the mallet hammer, then took the gun from Nathan while he was unconscious for safety reasons that she felt should've been obvious to David.

David nodded and seemed to believe her after that. Chloe remained quiet and waited with David in the bathroom for the medics to come in and take them away to the hospital. She held onto Max, refusing to let her go. By the time the ambulance arrived and all three kids were taken to the hospital, Blackwell was a hot mess. Students were already spreading gossip about it and there were varies stories as to what happened in the girl's bathroom. When Principal Wells summoned David to his office and confronted him in private, he demanded to know why his step-daughter was at the school, why she was caught in the bathroom with a gun and if David knew anything that would help the local authorities with their investigation. Frowning, David admitted that he had no idea what could have possibly sparked between the three youths that would lead up to such a graphic end. Gravely annoyed and fearing that the incident would bring negative attention to the school, Principal Wells dismissed David, got on the intercom and announced that everyone was to be released and go to their dorms while the investigation was going on. Several of Max's classmates were worried about her and feared she might actually die overnight.

Others, such as Warren, Kate and Dana got together and made some get well cards and posters and choose to believe Max was going to pull through. No one particularly cared about Nathan or Chloe, although Victoria did find it exceedingly suspicious that Chloe was involved with the event. She didn't say anything and kept her opinions to herself. Unlike the majority crowd, Victoria took Nathan getting wounded and rushed off to the hospital quite personal. If and when Chloe dared to step foot on campus again, at any point that week or the next few days to come, she would ask Chloe what really happened. If she found out that Chloe, was the sole reason for the drama, she would have a little surprise of her own in store for Chloe. Nathan was her friend, her brotherly figure and she was quite protective of him. For Chloe's sake, Victoria hoped she wasn't the reason for Nathan's mishap.

 

* * *

 

The next couple of hours were rough for the Prices and Caulfields. When the Caulfields arrived on the scene, Max had just come out of the ICU and was safely resting in her room. Chloe's surgery wasn't nearly as long so she was already awake and being talked to by her parents when the Caulfields came into Chloe's room to see her. After visiting briefly with Chloe, the Caulfields and the Prices were called outside by the doctors that was over their surgeries and were properly informed what the status of their daughters were. Chloe was in decent condition but her calf and tendon was severely damaged and she had to take medicine for the pain and possible infection, for the blade that was used on her, was rusty and chipped. Joyce was positive Chloe would be fine with taking medication for her infection and more than happily to receive narcotics for the pain. Joyce knew Chloe was a heavy stoner so anything remotely related to her daughter's drug life, would make her extremely happy. According to Chloe's doctor, the puncture wound was deep enough that it penetrated quite a few layers of skin and damaged muscles that were vital for the lower area of the leg to function. Chloe would have to wear a leg brace until she could take the stitches out, and it was untelling when that would be.

The Caulfields weren't terribly thrilled to hear about Max's condition. Unlike Chloe who came out of her surgery, and could go home in a few days, Max wasn't so lucky. She coated twice on the operating table, but the doctor and his staff were able to bring her back. Prior to her frustrating surgery, Max slipped into a coma. Alarmed, both families wanted an explanation, very desperate to learn why. Sighing, Max's doctor carefully explained how the gunshot to her chest was so brutal that it resulted in a massive loss of blood. Even though it didn't really make a lot of sense to Vanessa, she understood what the doctor was telling them and that Max would remain asleep and trapped in a deep state of unconsciousness until further notice. Vanessa was very upset by this outcome, as was the other adults but she took the news the hardest. Max wanted to move back to Arcadia Bay to go to school but Max was a young adult and wanted to return to her hometown and made it very clear she was going to go, with or without her parents’ approval. In the end, Max's parents supported Max's decision to leave but neither were happy about it.

To get a phone call from Joyce, hours before coming down, explaining what all had happened and why it was dire for them to come to Arcadia Bay in the middle of Max's first month back wasn't the greatest evidence for Vanessa to work with. If and when Max came out of her coma, she would be returning to Seattle and Vanessa was prepared to use her parental authority to override Max's wishes. No matter what way she approached the scenario, Max getting cornered by a Prescott in the bathroom and then shot by Chloe, who was dressed like a drug dealer, looked really bad from Vanessa and Ryan's point of view.

Joyce could sense the that was how the Caulfields felt during the entire briefing with the doctors. She couldn't blame them for feeling the way they did. But at the end of the day, Chloe was Joyce's only child and her baby and despite the day's jaded events, Joyce was glad she and Max came out of it alive, safe and sound. But Joyce wasn't stupid. Chloe did something to cause that accident in the bathroom, she was sure of it. While her friends would be visiting and staying with them at the house, Joyce made sure she'd keep her thoughts to herself. The second Chloe was released tomorrow and able to come home, Joyce had already made up her mind to question Chloe about what happened for two reasons.

A, she wanted to see if Chloe was truly responsible for hurting her best friend's daughter and if so, why? B, if Chloe wasn't guilty Joyce wanted to find out who was. Sooner or later, someone from their family was going to get interviewed by a police officer or a detective. Joyce would rather have some information to give the authorities to work with. Chloe being on campus and Max getting shot, was not something either family foresaw. It as just another thing to make Vanessa feel bad about letting Max leave by herself. And mad for not being able to protect her from the very danger that drove their family away from Arcadia Bay in the first place. Joyce felt differently. She understood that danger was everywhere and would always be an issue. She just wished Chloe wasn't associated to the wrong crowds and causing more trouble than good. Thankfully, with Chloe down and ordered to remain overnight in the hospital would force Chloe to be still for once and that was a huge relief for Joyce.

"Excuse me, Joyce? Can we talk to you all for a few minutes about what happened?" Asked Officer Berry, approaching the group with Officer Corn and their supervisor between them.

Officer Berry held Joyce’s stare, hoping he and the other officers didn't come at a bad time or were interfering with anything. With a gentle wave from the women, the doctors nodded and left them alone to deal with the authorities. The husbands stood off to the side, observing in a grim silence and taking careful of how their wives responded to the questions. From the way Officer Berry and Officer Corn were going about the interrogation, things didn't look that great for Chloe or Nathan. The women did their best, answering carefully and truthfully but it when it started to point to Chloe being the suspect and responsible for Max's injury, David stepped in and took over for Joyce.

He did this because he truly wanted to believe what Chloe told him in the bathroom was legit and based on what he knew about Chloe's history with Max, it was unthinkable for anyone, even the town's trusted police force, to suggest that Chloe shot Max intentionally and was a danger hazard to society. This debate went on for a good twenty minutes and got rather heated there towards the end. Chloe had the displeasure of hearing every single word. It was a pity they had to have the interrogation outside of her door but in some ways, Chloe was glad that they did. At least now she knew she was considered a suspect and could facing charges, persecution, jail time... the possibilities were endless and none of them made Chloe feel good about her situation.

 _I really screwed up bad. How the am I gonna get myself outta this mess?_ Chloe glanced down at her lap, weighing her options discreetly. _Hmm. Before I drive myself crazy with this crap, maybe I should... do what Max asked and read her journal?_

Chloe shut her eyes, swallowed a yawn then sluggishly shook her head to clear it. _Ugh. This opium is really doing its job. If I'm gonna read that thing, I should probably do it now before I pass out._

Chloe's head was so heavy from the drugs, it was a wonder when she remembered where she asked her nurse to hide the journal. While Chloe was being taken to the ER, Chloe kindly asked for the nurse to put Max's camera bag in the closet for safe keeping, but also, to lay the journal in the end table by the bed. She managed to take it, along with Max's bag, before the police could take it away. Chloe was already in propped up in a 90 degree angle so she didn't have to strain herself to get the journal. Lifting her arm, Chloe carefully opened the drawer, took the journal out and gingerly placed it on her lap.

Chloe looked down at leather cover briefly then picked it up, raising it to eye level. Chloe sat there on the bed, held it in her hands for the longest time and stared at it through sleepy eyes that seemed to get heavier by the second. Chloe wasn't sure why she was so nervous about reading it. Maybe it was because it was Max's personal thoughts, recorded on lines that only Max should see? Or maybe it was the fact that Max's last words to her in that bathroom were urging her to read it. Chloe frowned, recalling the scene vividly in her mind. Whatever Max wanted her to know, it was so important to her that Max made it her primary request. Chloe couldn't be sure what Max had going on in her life that would label it a secret but she wasn't going to learn the answering just looking at the outside of the book.

 _Read it huh?_ Chloe felt a yawn building and let it go this time then exhaled slowly, mentally bracing herself for what she already guessed, was going to be pretty intense. Had to be for Max to say what she did. _Okay Super Max. Let's see what this ‘secret’ is all about. Dunno what it'll do for me, but here goes nothing._

Honestly, Chloe didn't feel like reading Max's journal and there was a good chance she'd fall asleep while she did it but the least Chloe could do, was honor Max's wishes. At least for a little while until the opium fully kicked in and put her to sleep. Blinking what would have turned into cobwebs out of her eyes, Chloe opened the journal and began her journey into Max's personal thoughts. What Chloe read, literally woke her up. She sat up straighter on the bed and clutched at the journal, eyes glued to every word recorded. Up until reading the journal, Chloe was under the impression she was the only person alive who had a strange supernatural power. According the Max's journal, she wasn't alone. Come to find out, Max could rewind, freeze and photo jump to the past with her power. Chloe learned two valuable bits of information in that moment. First was learning about how Max remembered waking up in a strange place that later, turned out to be the lighthouse.

It was a vision, but in this vision, Max saw a horrible storm headed for the town and when she came out of it, she discovered that she could rewind time. They reunited shortly after she stopped Nathan from killing her in the girl's bathroom and together, started the search for Rachel Amber. It went on to explain the truth about Rachel, who killed her and the storm that was going to happen on Friday, October 11th. The second thing Chloe discovered shocked her and depressed her. In order for them to save everyone and stop the storm from destroying the town, Chloe told Max to do the right thing. The right thing for them, was Max choosing to save Arcadia Bay and with a pained heart, letting her die by going back in time with the photo jump to the start of that week.

_Oh Max… you poor thing._

Chloe felt herself tear up a little but quickly blinked the tears away. Keeping hold of the journal in one hand, Chloe wiped her eyes dry then continued to investigate the entries.

Come to find out, during a rare moment of letting herself feel the sadness and loneliness that still weighed down heart from missing her other half, Max had hoped to fix this with looking at old photos of happier times with Chloe in them. Mostly all from their childhood, then she found the photos of when she first moved to Seattle. Through no fault of her own, Max got lost in thought about that particular photo and sub-consciously photo timed jumped and found herself trapped back time 5 years, with no way home it seemed. Sitting up straighter in the bed, Chloe eyebrows knit together in concentration and furrowed slightly as she thought really hard about the sequences of events in Max's journal.

_So that's what happened to her and why she was absent from my life from that reality for five years. She was stuck in the past and made the best of it by trying to redeem herself by trying saving her friends in Seattle, despite that it was an alternate reality and not like the one from before. I think I get it but then, why not talk to me in that reality?_

Chloe didn't quite understand what that meant, but she read on, thinking the answer would surface if kept reading. During her time in Seattle, Max poured all her energy into her closest friends and used her power to help them. It didn't work out very well. Some people from Max's school were preserved without a sweat and she was able to come up with wise ways to save her friends from hazardous situations. This all seemed fine and well, then Chloe came across entries that talked about her grief over the people who meet gruesome ends, no matter how much she tried to save them. The more Chloe read, the more disturbed she got. Max's story didn't merely start and finish with her experience as a time wielder.

She went into other details outside of her life, sketched out faces of those she was close to, and locations of Seattle on the side margins as well. Max explained the side effects of using the power, what it was doing to her health, something about Chaos Theory she remembered Warren telling her about from the original timeline. All of this amounted up to Max wanting to do one thing. She wanted to find Chloe and tell her everything. The pressure of how she had created multiple realities because she screwed up so much and wanted to undo the damage she caused was too much for Max to bear alone. She wanted a friend… her best friend and hence, was why in that reality, she begged her parents to let her move back to Arcadia Bay by herself.

"Wait a minute. Max was coming back to Arcadia Bay to see me? Really?" Chloe muttered, peering closer at the entry.

It was true. Max was going to return to Arcadia Bay to see her, but there were quite a few things that prevented her from doing so. At this point, the logical thing for Chloe to do, was to put the journal down, tuck it away in the drawer and read more after she got a good night's rest and allowed herself to take it all in. Chloe didn't do this. She couldn't put the journal down, she was too fired up and kept reading it, curious to learn more about Max's experience with the power. Evidently, Max planned to tell Chloe about her adventures in Seattle, their adventure from the original reality before she accidently went back in time, the time power in general and warn her about the storm that was coming for Arcadia Bay. That was the original plan, but something stopped her from reaching her destination and meeting up with Chloe in the current reality Max was trapped in. The Greyhound Bus that was taking her to Arcadia Bay, was struck by a semi-truck that lost control. Many people died, including Max. Just when Chloe thought things couldn't get weirder for Max after she died, but it did. What Chloe read next, changed how she saw Max, their situation, and the power as a whole.

_It says that Max saw a rush of light, me pulling up to the school in my truck with missing posters, then the light entered me, and bam, she's back in Seattle again. She couldn't remember anything before the wreck. Just that for the first two years she was in Seattle, she basically lived a normal life, just without the time power, and forgot about her previous life._

Chloe scanned another page, and her sleepy eyes gradually widened.

_Huh. Here it says that she was slowly starting to go crazy from seeing visions of her past actions with the power, and couldn't stop thinking about the void of light she saw in a vision entering me. So basically, the whole reason she came back to Arcadia Bay this new reality, was to see if I was okay, and if I was experiencing the same things like she had. Dude—what?_

Chloe lowered the journal slightly, and glanced up, staring at nothing as her mind struggled to put together how everything was connected.

 _So, in one reality I'm sacrificed and die? In another reality, Max died in a freak accident, but got brought back because I have the power now? That's messed up, but… from what it looks like, that's exactly what it is. This power chose me, then somehow the power was able to reset everything for her, and apparently, for me too. Like a cycle of sorts. Or at least, that's what her scribbles, and theories suggest._ Chloe squinted her eyes in annoyance. _Well what does any of this mean? What are we supposed to do? Is the storm she saw in her realities, a possibility for me too?_

Chloe resumed her read, and went through the rest of the journal with a newfound interest. At some points, she wasn't sure what to believe, but told herself she had no choice, but to believe it. Max's journal had everything that happened to her written down. Despite being overwhelmed, and very distressed by such knowledge, chose to trust Max, both before her death, and after time was reset.

_I… I need to see her. I know she's in coma, but just seeing her would make me feel a little better._

Is what Chloe told herself and had every intention of calling for her nurse so she could go visit Max, who was down the hall by a good five rooms. Sadly, Chloe's eyes dropped against her will and she felt herself starting to drift off. Her hands twitched and the journal she had been clinging to for so long, slipped from her grasp and slid down her lap and onto the mattress and that was the last thing she remembered as she slipped into an agitated slumber.

Chloe woke up suddenly next morning with an awful pain in her neck. She had fallen asleep on the bed on the bed in a 90 degree angle, slept for the longest time, but didn't feel refreshed at all. Taking a deep breath, Chloe groggily straightened her posture as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

Releasing a yawn, Chloe stretched her arms over her head and instantly frowned hearing some of her bones pop. _Wow. I must've passed out before I could go see Max._ Groaning out loud, Chloe massaged at her sore neck muscles, and let her eyes roam across the small room. Her arms dropped suddenly as she remembered something important. _Max's journal? Where is it?_

Fearing someone might have come in, and taken it, Chloe patted the bed, desperately seeking it. When she couldn't find it on top of the sheets or under them, she thought to peek in the end table's drawer to see if maybe a nurse or one of her parents found it and put it away in there. Thankfully, when Chloe did open the drawer, the journal was in it and appeared to be untouched. Chloe could only hope. If someone did find it and read it, the most she wanted them to think was Max was crazy and nicely overlook it. Chloe couldn't be sure but at least it was safe.

At that precise moment, the door opened and three people entered the room. Chloe glanced up and saw who her visitors were. Chloe blinked seeing the nurse, her mother and David coming around over to the bed. Before anyone could question her about what she was reaching for, Chole shoved the drawer shut, cutting them off from the journal and withdrew her hand subtly.

"Hi honey. How are you feeling?"

Chloe shrugged, then winced feeling a random jolt of pain shoot up her bad leg. It made her hiss and her face scrunched briefly, worrying Joyce.

"I guess that wasn't the best thing to ask. Obviously, you're in pain…"

Chloe resisted the urge to lift the covers and grab at her wrapped, throbbing leg. It wasn't in a brace yet but it would be. Somehow the thought of scratching at it seemed to make her noticeable discomfort more tolerable. "Yeah? What gave it away?"

Joyce's features softened and she smiled, glad to see that Chloe's sarcasm was still intact.

"When will she be able to come home? Or do you not know?" David asked the nurse, stepping closer to the bed.

Chloe watched him reach out and cup her cheek surprisingly gentle. Chloe had to force herself to be polite and not jerk away in disgust. Clearly, he was worried. It was written all over his face. For once, Chloe let David touch her and didn't try to fight with him. It wasn't just because they were in a public place or because she wanted to look good in front of Joyce. David stayed with her in the bathroom and took her side when she reported the incident. Chloe lied and she suspected a combat veteran like David who was a sharp observer of people, might have suspected Chloe stretched the truth but he won some of her respect regardless. The biggest thing that was being tossed around was being the instigator of the problem and painted in a light like someone couldn't wait to hurt Max. Despite their differences, Chloe was impressed that David embraced her story and went out of his way to say he didn't think Chloe was the type to turn on a "real" friend. For the moment, they had an understanding but the authorities didn't feel the same way. They suspected Chloe was the missing link to their investigation and as if sensing this in her, David lowered his hand away from Chloe's face and leaned in to whisper by her ear,

"If they send you off, don't you worry Chloe. I'll make things right. I promise."

Strangely enough, this brought immense comfort to Chloe. Nodding, she gave him a faint, genuine smile. "Thanks David. I uh… appreciate that." Chloe remarked, making sure to keep her voice low so the nurse and her mother wouldn't overhear them.

Leaning back, David took his place beside Joyce and they waited for the nurse to finish up her business, so they could talk with her. Chloe was fine physically until the nurse proceeded to check her vitals and detach the IV bag in the crease of her arm. It hurt when she removed it, but it was no longer needed, according to the nurse.

Slanting her head to the side, the nurse kindly enlightened the group, "We'll start you on your medication today. The doctor wants to keep you another day, just to be sure nothing else is damaged, and you're taking to the medication without any side effects."

Nodding distractedly to show the nurse she heard her, Chloe looked over at her mother. The question she wanted to ask, Joyce saw it in her eyes.

Putting on a brave smile, Joyce confirmed Chloe's suspicious. "She's alive and stable. Hasn't woken up yet, her parents are visiting with her now. David and I plan on dropping by before we leave. If there is a change in her condition, I'm sure if you ask nicely Chloe, someone here at the hospital will inform you."

"Yeah? Thanks for that tad bit mom. Anyway, when can I get outta here?"

Joyce and David glanced at the Nurse, expecting her to give them all an answer. Chloe followed their gaze and gave the nurse a rather intense, demanding look. The nurse sighed and calmly informed the family of what the doctor had relayed to her that morning, and gently assured Joyce and David that they would be contacted if Chloe could come home earlier than her set date on file. Chloe wasn't terribly thrilled about the news, but it was better than being told she would have to wait days. That and, if what Max said was true about the storms being caused by the usage of the power, Chloe knew time might be limited for her.

Not only did she have the possible threat of an oncoming storm headed their way, there was still the matter of finding out what happened to Rachel again. It was a different reality and Chloe was selfish enough to hope that Nathan hadn't killed Rachel and she was nicely living it large in L.A. or someplace of her liking. Knowing Mark would be a problem she'd have to acknowledge sooner or later, Chloe made sure to give David's a head ups before he left the room with Joyce and creatively presented the information she and Max had discovered in a past reality, thinking if she let David know early, it would do some good for someone, whether or not it was too late for Rachel.

"Hey David. When you get some time to yourself, maybe you should go check out this location and inform the cops about it…"

Chloe trailed off and whispered the coordinates in his ear then leaned back, content with the seeds she was planting in him.

"Those missing girls are connected to this place and I have reason to believe Mark Jefferson is the culprit. Before you ask how I know all of this, I received a… tip from a good friend at the school who just so happened to do a little investigation of their own."

David and Chloe spared Joyce a quick glance, wanting to make sure she was still occupied with the nurse then they glanced back at each other and exchanged a mutual look.

"That's quite something of your friend who found all this out. Where is she or he so I can get up with them?"

Chloe grimaced and shook her head, sadly recalling the dark events in Max's journal.

"Uhh... sadly, that student no longer is at Blackwell. Wouldn't surprise me if Mark killed them you know? For snooping around and getting into his business."

David nodded and actually was okay with Chloe's vague response. He didn't dismiss Chloe's intel either. In fact, he appreciated it. He had been suspicious of Mark and had been trailing him for a while.

He didn't bother to question how Chloe came to have such detailed information, but he did whisper behind his hand to her while Joyce's back was turned, "Later, when you get home, we need to talk about a few things. This included. If you're right Chloe, and Mark has this bunker in a barn that Nathan is funding, you very well may have solved one of the biggest mysteries of Arcadia Bay. I'll keep in touch by phone and let you know what I find out."

Nodding just enough to where he could see it, David leaned back and walked up to Joyce, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. With Mark under way of being caught, Chloe could rest easy. The suspense would kill her but it was worth it to see if in this reality, Nathan killed Rachel and buried her in the junkyard or if… someway, somehow, Rachel was alive, out there, waiting to be found. David’s phone call or texts messages would make that difference but for now, Chloe focused her attention on Max. She wanted to see her, and the minute visiting hours were over, and the staff scattered, Chloe would make her move and go see Max for herself, with or without her doctor's approval.

 

* * *

 

It was well past midnight when Chloe stealthily sneaked into Max's room undetected. She ambled inside on her crutches then quietly kicked the door shut with her good heal behind her without making a sound. Chloe sighed with relief once she was inside. Just being in the same room with Max, was doing wonders for Chloe. She looked over her shoulder and listened for a moment to see if anyone was going to come in. Chloe didn't hear approaching footsteps, so she assumed, they wouldn't be bothered. Curving her neck around, Chloe set her worried gaze on the bed. Max was fast asleep. Chloe didn't expect otherwise, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to see Max, touch her, and tell her how she felt about everything she knew since reading the journal.

 _If I could just get this stuff off my chest, and talk about it, I think I can go to bed in peace. I read way too much to just brush it off, and pretend it's not affecting me. I wonder if this is how Max felt when she started to get her memories back, and see those freaky visions of her past life?_ Chloe shuddered at the thought. _Probably. Max didn't have anyone to talk to back in that reality. It must have been a terrible, lonely feeling to carry all this crap around and suffer in silence._

Chloe cautiously approached the bed on her crutches and as she got closer, she took in the sight of Max with a heavy heart. Max laid there, pale as a sheet with an oxygen mask over her face. The oscilloscope off to the side, near the head of her bed was beeping faintly but the vital signs on the screen were decent, not in a negative range like Chloe had originally feared. Sighing, Chloe made her way over to the opposite side of the bed, away from the oscilloscope and gently sat down in the chair that was provided. She reached over and set her crutches against the end table for the moment then looked back at Max.

"You really are Super Max." Chloe whispered, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. "You're really here with me, and wanted to come back but got killed… and even after all they crap went down, when you remembered, you still decided to came back into life. It sucks that I had to be the reason you're in that bed instead of Nathan."

Closing her mouth, Chloe wiped at her eyes, forcing the tears back and decided she'd shut up for a while, and just study the other teen in the bed as she composed her thoughts. The more Chloe stared at Max the more she found herself lost in the emotional conflict she felt rising between them. The weak, quiet, shy little girl was so grown up, in so many different ways, for so many different reasons. In one reality, Max should've been enjoying her pre-teenage years, getting to know herself and the world around her. Instead, she was out saving other art school hipsters and stopping horrible situations from occurring in her and their lives. In another reality, she forgot and was able to be a kid and grow up naturally, only to be haunted by visions and see all the madness unfold before her eyes when she tried to sleep. It was so bizarre for Chloe to remember Max as she was five years ago and know the information from the journal that completely blew what she understood of Max, out of the water.

"I just… I just have so much I want to say to you. I don't even know where to begin. " Chloe reached out and placed her trembling hand over Max's hand. It felt warm against her chilled skin. "What does this mean for you now? If I have the power, what am I supposed to do with it, huh? Besides rewind, and save people? That storm you saw in Seattle in the alternate reality, was it the same storm from your original timeline or a different one? Is another storm already in the works, and coming for Arcadia Bay? If yes, will it appear on Friday, October 11th? I wish… you could wake up, and help me figure this all out. I still gotta figure out where Rachel is. Assuming she's even alive..."

Max clutched Chloe's hand seemingly out of nowhere and held onto it like her life depended it. Chloe gasped feeling Max's fingers lace with hers. She didn't wake up, much to Chloe's disappointment, but Chloe didn't really mind. She told herself eventually, Max would wake up and the thought of her being able to talk to Max, face-to-face brought a wry smile to Chloe's lips.

 _I suppose this is the safest place for her to be right now. Not her shot and in a coma, just at a state of ease and still for once. If anyone needs to chill out and catch up on some Z's, it's Max._ Chloe watched Max sleep for a while, her expression thoughtful. Every so often she'd give Max's hand a reassuring squeeze and would always grin when Max returned it to the best of her ability.

_She's so cute. Even passed out in a hospital bed hooked up to life support._

 Some more time passed before Max started to see the events of her past life in her sleep. Already on edge from what little her mind showed her, Max jerked her head from side to side, trying to escape the horrible visions that were tormenting her.

 Chloe had no way of knowing what had Max so upset, but she did ease forward and try to calm her down. "Shh. Easy there, Max. You're all right. It's okay, you're okay… try to fight it off, and go back to sleep."

Chloe spoke gently, not wanting to startle Max with a high pitch voice. Max whimpered pitifully and actually tried to wake herself up, but in the end, she failed and kept twitching in her sleep. Glancing over her shoulder, Chloe checked to see if anyone was coming or had heard Max crying out. With the coast clear, Chloe scooted the chair closer to the bed then carefully stood up. She swayed a little, from her medication and also from trying to balance herself on her good leg. When Chloe felt she would be able to stand on one leg and clutch at the edge of the mattress with her hand without feeling like she would fall over, she lowered her head close to Max. There, she planted a gentle kiss on Max's forehead and brushed her lips gingerly across the skin. Leaning back just slightly, Chloe dipped her head again but this time, she gave Max a few nuzzles. Chloe did these things in confidence, thinking it would would help sooth Max's distress.

It worked.

Max stopped hyperventilating and every so slowly, the springy tension in her body left her and Max was able to sleep normally once again. Chloe wanted to stay with Max for the remainder of the night, but knew if caught, it wouldn't end well for her. Rolling her eyes, Chloe eased away from Max's face and sat back down in her chair with a soft huff, torn on risking it and spending the night in Max's room or going back to her own before anyone noticed she was gone.

"Chloe…"

Hearing Max mumble her name, Chloe's ears perked up, and she raised her head, almost expecting to see Max come to and meet her excited gaze. What Chloe got was the opposite. Max tried to wake up, the determined look forming on her face spoke for itself, but she was just too weak and exhausted to wake herself up completely. Chloe couldn't help but smile down at her and appreciate Max's effort to try.

"Don't worry Max." Chloe kissed Max on the forehead again as she clasped her hand around Max's limp one. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for you…" Trailing off, Chloe pressed her lips tenderly against Max's ear. There, she quietly whispered, "And when you wake up, I'll listen to you okay? So just rest and get better. You're safe here and I'm alive and I swear I won't let anything or anyone ever harm you again."

The soft exhale from Max's mouth, to the way her hand relaxed under hers, told Chloe she was starting to calm down and heard her. Content, Chloe sat back in her seat, and continued to hold onto Max's hand, refusing to let her hand go, even after she found herself leaning forward, burying her head on Max's lap and drifting off into a deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

"What... is going on now?"

Chloe was soaked from the downpour of rain and her clothes were being violently ruffled by the wind. She turned around and glanced around, making a show of the area. She was at the lighthouse, on top of the hill by a bench. The very lighthouse that used to serene as a hideout for her and Max when they were kids. She wasn't sure what was going on or what she was seeing. Everything was so surreal. The sound of the howling wind, the terrifying effects of the lightning that crackled through sky and the tornado itself was insane. She could even feel the electricity in the air and smell the salt of the raging ocean filling her nostrils every time she took a breath.

"What the-"

Chloe saw a stunning, one-winged, blue butterfly appear in front of her out of thin air. It was solid and whole in its appearance, with colors so vivid, even Chloe could see it in the dark atmosphere. Chloe reached out to touch the insect, but the one-winged, blue butterfly flapped its wing, barely getting out of her reach. It kept fluttering about until it landed on the monument. Chloe followed it over to the monument and caught sight of a newspaper. The one-winged, blue butterfly crawled over to it and its wing slowly fell down, and remained like so.

"Do you want me to look at it?"

Chloe lifted up a arm and tried to block the intensity of the wind. She grabbed the newspaper and read what was on the front page.

"October 11th?"

Chloe spared a glance up at the tornado then glanced back down at the front cover of the newspaper.

"Dude! That's this Friday!"

Chloe wanted to read more of the column, to see what might have brought on such a destructive force of power but the wind blew again and forced the newspaper out of her hand.

"It's headed straight for the town..."

Chloe's eyes narrowed and she stood there, powerless to stop the tornado from destroying the city and all who lived there.

"Is this the confirmation about the storm that Max wrote about?"

Chloe asked this question and received no answer. Just more devastating footage of the tornado sweeping across the shoreline and into the town. She heard people screaming, cries of the people, both young and old. Sirens sounded off in the distance, lights lit up the sky but no matter how many people Chloe saw trying to get up and find shelter, no one was able to escape the storm. A slow, jaded grin formed on her face and Chloe found herself chuckling lightly then the pitch dropped an octave, making her chuckle sound almost crazed.

"I always did say this town took away everything I ever loved and wished that I could drop a bomb on it and turn it to glass. Maybe this storm that's coming…"

Chloe glanced up at the raging sky, no longer interested in the chaos taking place. Her grinned widened and the hand that contained the power, clenched in excitement.

"Won't be so bad after all."


	14. Episode 4: Say It Again (R)

**Thursday October 7 th**

* * *

 

The longer Chloe stood on the hill and observed the chaos from the storm, the happier she got. Her heart raced in excitement, and no matter how much she tried to make the vision stop, it continued to play, and keep her captivated. Chloe may have been forced to watch the storm destroy all of Arcadia Bay, but she wasn’t upset about it. She didn’t want to look away, so she didn’t. She kept watching until finally, she threw her arms up over her head, and let out a loud yell.

“Finally! Something powerful enough to turn this place to glass! Sucks to whoever is in it though, but hey. I’m up here. They’re down there. It’s not my problem.” Chloe’s arms dropped, and as she continued to obverse the destruction, she cupped her chin in thought, realizing something important. “Hmm… mom might be at the diner. I know Justin and Trevor love to eat at the place, and normally, Frank will always stop by for mom’s special homemade chili.” Chloe’s eyes narrowed. “That’s a problem for me, if mom is there. I’m not too worried about Frank, but he _is_ a friend.” Chloe arched an eyebrow. “Sorta. Anyway, I wonder what seeing this vision is supposed to mean? I’m pretty sure I’m dreaming right now…”

Chloe stepped away from the cliff's edge and as she did this, a girl approached her silently from behind. The girl reached out, and placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder. The nails of the girl were painted black, and she bore a distinctive blue jay earning. Chloe's body whirled around, instantly on the defensive. Who Chloe saw staring back at her, made Chloe grin really big.

“Rachel!” She exclaimed, jumping into her friend’s arms.

Rachel stood there, arms caving around Chloe with a pleased smirk on her face. “Hey Price.” Rachel kissed Chloe’s temple in greeting. “Miss me?”

Chloe clung to Rachel’s forearms, burying her face Rachel’s wet hair. “Jerk. Of course, I missed you. Where have you been?”

 Rachel bowed her head, and stood there, soaked in the rain, saying nothing, much to Chloe's disappointment.

"Um. Okay. Let’s try this. What are you doing here?"

Rachel remained silent, and continued to hold Chloe in her arms with a pained expression. Chloe couldn’t see it, because her face was hidden in Rachel’s hair. Rachel was glad for that. Taking a deep breath, Rachel rubbed Chloe’s back a few times, knowing the rubs would sooth Chloe.

“And where exactly is “here” anyway? I _know_ I’m not really at the lighthouse, so what is all this? Where are we?”

Rachel shut her eyes, and sighed. “In the spiritual realm, and not in the reality you want.”

Confused by her remark, Chloe leaned back so she could look at Rachel. “And what is that supposed to mean? Wait a minute. Max’s journal, the time power… you know about it too, don’t you?” Chloe trailed off, her questioning eyes darting all across Rachel’s face.

Rachel frowned, and her face was full of regret, guilty looking almost and Chloe couldn't understand why Rachel would react to her questions in this manner or why she wasn't willing to speak to her.

“Rachel?” Chloe echoed, waiting for her to say something. When Chloe received no response from Rachel, she pushed against her hand against Rachel’s shoulder, trying to get Rachel to focus. “Do you know about Max’s journal?” Chloe took a breath, and asked a question she felt was needed. “Are you really here with me? Or just an illusion I made because I miss you so much?”

Instantly, Rachel turned into something else. Chloe stumbled away from what used to be Rachel, and gazed at the new person in fear, and alarm.

“Who the blazes are you?”

The native masked person chuckled darkly. “A god responsible for many things. In truth, I am not God, but simply a spirit that gave myself the title.” The spirit titled his head as a black raven landed on his right shoulder. “I am someone who has watched you die many times, in different realities, Chloe Price.”

That statement should have put Chloe on edge. Make her defensive, and distrusting of the spirit at most. Instead, it intrigued her, and she found herself wanting to learn more about the mysterious spirit that had appeared to her.

“I am someone who has watched several of your friends, and family members suffer, make mistakes, and good choices. I have observed the citizens of Acarida Bay for eons, and when I feel like having fun with humans, I insert myself into their lives and… do strange things.”

Chloe opened her mouth to comment, but the raven cawed loudly, cutting her off. She closed her mouth, and glanced at the raven, feeling nostalgic in its presence for some reason. “What _kind_ of things?”

The spirit turned to face the destruction of the storm. Chloe followed his gaze, and saw that Arcadia Bay was no more, and the storm was still moving violently down the streets of the town.

“I could tell you the secrets behind that answer, I could show you more visions of chaos, or give you a power that allows you see events before they happen…” The spirit sighed, and looked back at Chloe. “But I prefer your precious blue jay to have that power.” The spirit chuckled again. “Ah yes. That’s right. Your precious blue jay is _dead_ in this reality. I could give you her power, but I don’t think you’ll use it properly.”

Chloe’s eyes widened. “W… Who is this blue jay?”

The spirit tilted his head, and even though Chloe couldn’t see his physical eyes, she could tell they were twinkling in amusement.

“Is it… who I think it is?”

The spirit nodded gently. “Yes. Rachel Amber, the blue jay, is already dead.” The spirit pointed down at the ground. “In _this_ reality. In a previous one, you managed to save her, the deer, the rabbit, and the whale. There were others who survived the storm, none worth mentioning.” The spirit crossed his arms. “In another past reality, a you were a killer, worked for a human agency, and saved several people I gave special powers to. You preserved the blue jay in that reality, and became a living legend. But sadly, in this reality, you’re just a pathetic rebel, who’s driving herself insane wondering where her best friend went.” The spirit shrugged. “You’re wasting your time. Rachel is dead. You were too late—again, and when you find the one who did this, and bring him to justice, guess what? It won’t bring Rachel back.”

Chloe’s sad gaze dropped for a short moment. She stood there, taking the news in a bitter silence. “You’re lying… Rachel isn’t dead.”

Chloe’s denial made the spirit throw his masked head back, and laugh out loud. The raven flew off the spirit’s shoulder and flapped his wings to go faster. He followed the storm, at a safe distance, no longer interested in Chloe’s reaction.

“Yes. She. Is. When you wake up from this vision, go to the junkyard, and look for her jacket.”

Choe frowned. “The rebel punk studded one?”

“That’s the one. Nathan Prescott, the one responsible for Rachel Amber’s demise, got the coat stuck on fence, and as a result, it ripped some of the coat. In his hurried state, he tore the jacket off, buried her, and left.”

Chloe squinted her eyes unsure if she should believe the spirit or not. “Let’s say I believe you, whoever or _whatever_ you are that is telling me all of this…” Chloe trialed off, and her troubled gaze fell to the ground. “And let’s say, I humor you, wake up from this vision, go to the junkyard, and find Rachel’s body. What is that supposed to prove? What do I gain by doing any of this?”

The spirit leaned in, put a finger under Chloe’s chin, and tipped her head back, forcing her to look into his mask’s face. “Simply the truth. Max’s journal already confirmed much, didn’t it?”

Chloe sighed. “So, you know about the journal too?”

The spirit cackled. “I know _many things_ , Chloe Price.”

The spirit dropped his finger from under Chloe’s chin, and instantly, the vision ended. Chloe's eyes snapped wide open, leaving her alone, and with a lot to think about.

“I _really_ need to lay off the weed.” Chloe muttered, sitting up straighter in her chair.

She doubled over and held her head, still dazed from the intensity from her vision. Hearing the beeping from Max’s vital machine, Chloe lifted her head out of her hands slightly, and glanced wearily in Max’s direction. Max was sound asleep, completely oblivious to what Chloe had just gone through. The journal had slipped off her lap and was open on the floor. Chloe picked it up, closed it, and laid it gently on the end table beside her.

“But I don’t think I can blame it on weed this time... that vision… that person, that spirit I saw…” Chloe tensed in the chair, and clenched her jawline. “It was real. I’m trying so hard to tell myself it’s not, but I just know that spirit was telling me the truth.” Chloe whispered, bowing her head sadly. “And if what they said was true, then Rachel is dead.” Sniffing, Chloe quickly wiped away the tears she felt building from her eyes. Taking a few cautious breathes, Chloe glanced around the dark room, almost expecting to see the spirit appear and mock her. _The second I released from this hospital, I’m going to that junkyard. And I will look for Rachel’s body._

Chloe looked down at herself, feeling a different kind emotion. Hesitation mixed with anger. She grunted, trying to shake off the shock from the vision with the spirit. “If I find Rachel’s body, just as the spirit said, and a storm does hit Arcadia Bay this Friday, then I will have no choice but to accept everything. Max’s journal, the power to control time—just everything.”

Chloe took Max’s journal with her, and returned to her room with much weighing on her mind.

 

* * *

 

The following day, Chloe was allowed to go home. She should have been thrilled to finally get out of the hospital, but she remained in a foul mood. She had knowledge about things she couldn’t talk about to just anyone. The only other person who would believe her, was still in a comma, laying in a bed at the hospital. Joyce was still emotionally shook over what happened, and surprisingly, so was David.

Chloe frowned, considering her options. She remained still on her bed with her arms tucked behind her head. She stared up at the ceiling with a bored look on her face, torn between sneaking out of the house to inspect the junkyard, or remaining where she was, right there on the bed.

“If I leave now they’ll hear me, and I’ll be forced to stay home.” Chloe wagged her foot lazily from left to right as she pondered. Pressing her lips together, she hummed softly, and recalled her vision at the hospital with the spirit. “I dunno what was up with that guy. I could argue it was drugs making me hallucinate, and it was all a bunch of nonsense.” Chloe shut her eyes, and sighed. “But if it wasn’t the narcotics, and it what he told me was true…” Trailing off, Chloe turned her head to look out the window of her bedroom. “I wonder if I should go to the junkyard after all?” Chloe muttered, siting up on the bed.

She kept staring at the window, and longer she did, the more motivated she got.

“Okay. I believe what I saw, but I believe Max more. And Max wouldn’t make stuff up to lead me on. If I can stomach her story… I can test that spirit, go to the junkyard, and see for myself what’s really going on.”

Chloe laid back down, deciding to take a quick nap. She still felt drowsy from her medicine, and little off in general. The nap was supposed to be quick, just enough to pacify her. Ten hours later, her eyes snapped open, and she sat up in a dark room. Chloe blinked, glancing around her bedroom, noting the change in lighting.

“Aww balls. I didn’t mean to sleep _this_ long.” Chloe held her forehead, using the tips of her fingers to massage the skin. “Well. Whatever. At least it’s dark out. It’ll make sneaking so much easier.”

Chloe got up, and went to quietly freshen up in the bathroom. Joyce, and David were already asleep. Chloe didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. She needed them to think she was still sleeping, so she was extra quiet when she cleaned up in the bathroom, and when she returned to her room to get dressed.

“She’s not there.” Chloe told herself as she slipped a white tank top with a snake on it over her head. “She’s alive. What I saw was nothing, I heard nothing, she’s not there in that junkyard.”

Chloe had reasoned what she thought about her vision, and why she was going to junkyard to test her vision. Despite this, she told herself Rachel was alive. No matter how many times Chloe said the phrase in her head or out loud, she couldn’t shake off her fear, or the anxiety that came with it.

“Okay, I think I got everything. Let’s get this over with…”

Chloe grabbed her truck keys, stuffed them in her leather jacket’s pocket, and stealthily exited through her window over the computer desk. She carefully walked down the roof, hopped down, and landed awkwardly on her feet.

“That didn’t feel too good.” Chloe put a hand instinctively on her stomach. “Gonna have to take easy. I really don’t wanna go back to the hospital. Even if Max is there, I don’t like hospitals.”

Chloe unlocked the door, slid into the truck, and shut the door as softly as she could. There was no getting around the noise of the engine. On cue, the light in her parent’s bedroom came on.

“Whoops. Oh well. I tried.” Chloe put the truck in reverse, sloppily backed up out of the driveway, and took off down the road at alarming speed. She was breaking the speed limit, and didn’t care if a police officer saw her do it or not. What slow cars were on the road that night, she aggressively passed, and kept going. When she pulled into the junkyard, Chloe could barely contain herself. She unbuckled the seatbelt, and dashed out the truck.

“Look for the torn leather jacket. Torn leather jacket by the crab sign.” Chloe didn’t want to find Rachel’s jacket. She knew if she did, it would confirm part of the vision. She had been to the junkyard so many times before tonight, and never had she laid eyes on it.

 _But back then I wasn’t looking for clothing. I was drunk, high, or just angry at my life to even notice something like that._ Chloe glumly thought, walking around the corner of the line of piled cars.

Chloe’s eyes wondered over to the wired fence, and she froze immediately spotting Rachel’s jacket. “No. No, t-that doesn’t mean anything.” Chloe turned her head, and hesitantly found the spot under the crab sign. “That jacket is Rachel’s… I dunno why I never noticed it before. B-But it doesn’t mean anything!” She yelled into the night air, storming off to find something to dig with. “Shovel. I need a shovel, stick—something!”

Chloe dug through the heap of rusted items until she found what she needed. Pulling a half -rusted shovel head out of the junk, she stepped back, and returned to the spot under the crab sign. As Chloe began digging, it started to rain. The down pour was light at first, then it picked up, and soon, Chloe was soaked. She didn’t mind, she just kept on digging. In the background, near the blue car her father was killed in, the native masked spirit stood beside two invisible animals. A blue jay, and a deer. The blue jay was standing between the ears of the deer, and they remained silent as the native masked spirit watched Chloe dig.

“She’s not there! She’s _not!_ The spirit lied to me, and Rachel is alive!” Those words were spoken with anger, but carried little assurance.

The more Chloe dug, the more desperate she became. At one point, she stopped used the shovel head, and threw it violently to the side, deciding to scoop the dirt with her own hands. Her knuckles bruised, dirt got under her nails, and wet soil discolored her wrists, arms, and the front of her tank top. Chloe’s tears mixed in with the rain drops staining her face. Chloe found herself biting her lower lip so hard, she broke skin. Blood spilled, but she scarcely noticed. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Chloe hit something. The stench of rotten, decayed flesh hit her so hard, she recoiled back. She coughed having the wind knocked out of her. Glancing sharply back at the hole she had created, Chloe held her breath, and went to go peek inside the hole again.

This time, she saw something unmistakable that told her, the body she had uncovered was Rachel’s. The blue jay feather earring… it was there, near what should have been a head, barely intact. The colors of the feather earning were faded, but it was recognizable. Chloe scooted back, drew up her knees, and his her face. Each sob that fell from her mouth got louder, and she eventually fell on her side, and grabbed at her head in despair. Rachel was dead. The reality of this sent Chloe into shock. She laid there, in the pouring rain, screaming her frustration, and calling out Rachel’s name, somehow thinking it would bring her back if she screamed her name loud enough.

The blue jay, and the deer that observed Chloe in the rain, listened to her aguish for another moment, then they dropped their sad gazes, gradually bowing their heads in defeat. They faded away to nothing, but the native masked spirit remained in the physical realm. He wanted to see what Chloe was going to do. He could care less about her grief over loosing Rachel. He just wanted her to get angry, and use the gift he had given her.

“Rachel…” Chloe struggled to stand. “I loved you.” Chloe moved her head back, staring at the sky with through blurry vision. “I loved you so much. This… isn’t fair. Who does this? What world does this?” Chloe stood there, head bent back, letting the rain blind her for a long time. “I… I don’t want this her.” Chloe sluggishly leveled her gaze with Rachel’s remains. Exhausted, and weary, Chloe approached the hole, hit her knees, and stared at the grave with slanted eyes. “Max’s journal said she could jump through time by just _looking_ at a photo with herself _in it_.” Chloe’s eyes fell to the ground in sincere thought. “If that’s true, then I can save her.”

With a new found determination, Chloe stood back up. She would grieve later if her plan didn’t work. But that didn’t seem likely. Not after what she read, not after what the vision showed her. She had power, and she was going to use it. “This place… takes everyone I love. It took my dad.” Chloe kicked the shovel head out of her path. “And now, it took my angel. So you know what?!” Chloe turned her head to glare at nothing. Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fists, and made a statement that made the masked native spirit grin. “Let the storm wipe this place out! Let Arcadia Bay _die!_ But before that storm does that…” Chloe reached in her back pocket, and pulled out her wallet. In her wallet, there was a particular photo of her and Rachel posing together in the street. It was right after the Tempest play around the time they had officially started hanging out. “Let’s see if this power is what Max made it out to be. I realize if I do what I’m thinking, I can only have one best friend in my life…” Chloe shrugged, squared her shoulders, and began to focus her mind. “Sorry Max. I love you, but if we’re going to be fair, you abandoned me first. Let’s see how you like if and when you return to Arcadia Bay and I’m not here for you when you get back.”

With those words cemented in the front of her mind, Chloe began to feel the world around starting to shift. All noises around her faded, including her own breathing. The world around her, went stark white, leaving just the photo in her hand as the only focal point of interest. Then, just like that, Chloe heard her voice, and Rachel’s past voices. She sounded different, and she rightfully should, as she was just going through puberty. The laughter of Rachel, was such a wonderful sound to hear. Chloe of the present felt herself smile… and then… nothing.

  

* * *

 

“Well _that_ selfie was a total fail.”

Chloe stood still, needing a moment to gather her bearings. She evidently took the photo, but couldn’t hold the phone anymore. Her nerves were too bad. She dropped it, and the shocking noise startled Rachel. Rachel blinked, confused by Chloe’s actions. Rachel raised an eyebrow, hesitantly reaching out to touch Chloe on the arm.

“Hey. You okay?” Rachel cuffed Chloe’s shoulder with her hand, then her eyes widened seeing her friend collapse. “What the—Chloe! Are you all right?!” Rachel knelt down by Chloe, helping her sit up.

Chloe groaned as her head rolled into Rachel’s shoulder.

“Chloe?” Rachel whispered, dipped her head closer to Chloe’s. “Was the picture that bad? Or are you the actress now? Because you’re really convincing me something’s wrong.”

Chloe tried to open her eyes, but she was too exhausted from her time travel to do much of anything. The most she managed to do, was utter some words that made Rachel’s heart flutter in her chest. “We’re leaving… for L.A., _tonight_.”

Rachel pressed her lips tightly together, unsure why Chloe’s instistnce to run away made her feel so happy. “Are you sure? Earlier you sounded like it was a bad idea, talking about money, and needing to have a rig and—”

“Rachel…” Chloe whispered, trying to quiet her labored breathing. “We’re going. This year, tonight, and never coming back to this trash heap. I’ll get us some money, we’ll catch a bus. We won’t need a ride if we just catch a bus, right?”

“Oh.” Rachel sounded surprised. “I hadn’t considered taking a bus.”

Chloe cracked her eyes half way open. She eased off Rachel’s shoulder, and sat upright for herself, no longer needing the support. Rubbing the burn out of her eyes, she turned her head, and watched her. She wanted to take Rachel into her arms, bury her face in hair, inhale her scent, and enjoy her. She had missed her so much, and had felt alone for so long. Rachel was right there, and she had to restrain herself from tackling Rachel to the ground. Rachel may not be against the affection, but Chloe was afraid she wouldn’t understand it. In this time, they had only just become friends, were still learning each other. Chloe kept that in mind the entire she discussed their plans to runaway together on the sidewalk, under a pole light.

“This is such a change in events. What… brought this on?”

Chloe reached out and cupped Rachel’s face with shaky hands. Rachel glanced down at Chloe’s hands, then back her face. She noticed Chloe was behaving strange, but she didn’t have the courage to call Chloe out on it.

“I got a backbone, it’s there… under the fear, and rebellion okay? Nothing has changed just my desire to move things along. I’m game if you.” Using her hands, Chloe brought Rachel’s face closer, and bumped her forehead gently against Rachel’s. “So what do you say? Will you run away with me?”

Rachel caught her breath, frantic eyes darting all over Chloe’s face. Chloe was serious, and that somehow made Rachel’s excitement to leave, even better.

“Say it again?” She whispered, holding Chloe’s face with her own hands. “Say that to me… again?”

Chloe grinned. “Will you run away with me?”

Rachel’s features softened, and her smile met her jade eyes. It was the most beautiful “Yes.” Chloe could have hoped for.

“I will. Let’s go pack a bag at my house, get some supplies, and then… we’ll go. As for money… I got you. Don’t worry about it.”

Rachel helped Chloe stand up, and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. They tilted their heads against each other, and continued down the sidewalk to Rachel’s house, both smiling big, and eager to start a new chapter in their story. Chloe would miss her mother, and certain people from Arcadia Bay, but she had made her choice, sealing everyone’s fates when she went back in time to see Rachel. The storm would come, many people would die, Chloe was sure of it. People she knew, and people she didn’t know. At most, she would warn her mother… maybe. It depended on if she wanted to disturb those future events. Either way, Chloe wasn’t looking back. She had all she needed. Rachel was alive. And this time, Chloe intended to keep her alive—no matter what the cost.

 

* * *

 

  **Past Photo:**  Chloe, coming into the bathroom, and stopping Nathan from shooting Max, but accidently shot Max when she got stabbed in the leg by Nathan.

 **Present Photo:**  Nathan shoots Max in the girl’s bathroom, and Max is left on the floor in a pool of blood.

 **Past Photo:**  Chloe sitting in Max’s hospital room, reading her journal, near Max’s bed with a disturbed look on her face.

 **Present Photo:**  Max in the bed, hooked up to life support at the hospital, her parents standing around the bed with Joyce, and David with sad expressions on their faces.

 **Past Photo:** Chloe doubled over, and crying in the junkyard as she learns the truth about Rachel.

 **Present Photo:** Chloe in L.A. with Rachel, in a cozy studio apartment, strumming her guitar, while Rachel sits on the couch, and listens to her play.

 **Past Photo:**  Max still at the hospital, merely in a comma, and estimated to come out of it.

 **Present Photo:**  Max dies, and her father pulls the plug on her life support on October 10th, while Joyce holds Vanessa, who cries over the death of Max.

 **Past Photo:**  The storm wipes out Arcadia Bay on October 11th.

 **Present Photo:**  The storm wipes out Arcadia Bay, Joyce dies, David dies, and everyone Chloe knew, even classmates she hated at Blackwell, dies. The only sole savior Chloe knew, who managed to survive the storm, was Frank Bowers. 

 

 

* * *

   **Los Angeles - 2013**

* * *

 

 

Chloe was laying in her bedroom, sleeping soundly when Rachel poked her head in to check on her.

“Chloe? You okay?”

Chloe’s deep breathing was a relief to hear. Rachel smiled, entered the room, and softly shut the door behind her. The news of casualties from Arcadia Bay was devastating. Many people were killed, including their parents. Rachel had issues with her father, but she didn’t like hearing about his death. Her biological mother was alive, and well. That made Rachel happy. Sera was residing in Bevercreek at the moment, living in a one-story house, in a small community. There were lots of children in Bevercreek, something Sera was fond of. She had invited Rachel and Chloe to come out, and see her once things smoothed over. Rachel intended to take Sera up on her offer once she, and Chloe had some more time to mourn.

“Want a snuggle buddy?” Rachel asked, crawling onto the bed.

Chloe didn’t answer. She just laid there on her side, arm tucked under the pillow, snoring deeply.

“Well, I want to snuggle so there.” Rachel whispered, cuddling in behind Chloe.  

She draped one arm over Chloe’s waist, pinning her down gently. She pulled Chloe closer, and sighed blissfully against the nape of Chloe’s neck. Rachel’s cool breath chilled Chloe’s skin. She rolled her shoulder, shaking off the goosebumps.

“You sure do sleep a lot. Is it L.A’s weather that’s making you so tired lately or just… the obvious? You know, losing our parents, and friends?”

Chloe heard Rachel speaking, but she was in such a deep state of oblivion, she couldn’t understand her. Mumbling sleepily, Chloe shifted on the bed. Rachel grinned seeing Chloe roll over. The feeling of Chloe bumping her forehead into hers, to the way Chloe’s own arm came down over Rachel’s waist, made Rachel blush from happiness.

“Goodnight, Price. I guess we can talk about those things… when you wake up.”

Rachel leaned kissed Chloe dotingly on the cheek, then lowered her head down to the pillow. She kept her forehead pressed against Chloe’s, and held her, long after she had fallen asleep.


	15. Episode 5: Time & Disorder (R)

_“We’ve just gotten reports that the seven unidentified bodies from the rubble were—”_

“Rachel, for the love of— _turn it off!_ ” Chloe barked, making sure to use extra edge in her voice.

Rachel observed at Chloe with a stricken expression. One that told Chloe she didn’t understand. Rachel continued to sit there, staring at Chloe in an awkward silence. She didn’t mean to, she was just bothered by Chloe’s recent change in attitude. Ever since Chloe woke up, and asked where she was at, she had been in a foul mood. Rachel tried to make Chloe feel better. She cooked her favorite dish, and served it to her in bed. Chloe thanked her, but didn’t eat much, and spoke very little to her.

After breakfast, Chloe took a shower, and while she was bathing Rachel thought to run to the store, and buy Chloe one of her favorite whiskeys. When she returned with the whisky, she presented it to Chloe with a hopeful smile on her face. That smile left seeing Chloe shake her head, walk into the kitchen to prepare a snack. Rachel put the whiskey away in the cabinet, deciding if, and when Chloe wanted to talk about what was bothering her, she’d be there for her. Until then, she would keep out her way, mind herself, and go about her business.

“You know, I’m kind of watching this right now, so…” Rachel looked away from her friend, and shrugged. “Sorry Chloe. But I’m not going to change it.”

Chloe shot Rachel a warning look, Rachel wasn’t going to change the station. She was watching it, so she hesitantly curved her neck around, and continued to listen to the casualty report by the news anchor. She waited with baited breath, predicating each victim before the man confirmed the bodies. Some Rachel guessed correctly for many, others were names of people she didn’t know. It didn’t matter. They were residents of Arcadia Bay, her and Chloe’s hometown. That was good of enough of a reason to pay attention to the report.

A long moment passed, and Rachel had yet to turn the channel. Chloe her jaw, enduring each name that fell from the reporter’s mouth until she couldn’t stand it anymore. She glanced at Rachel, gave Rachel a few more seconds to turn the channel. With no response from Rachel, Chloe narrowed her eyes at her friend, and it dawned on her, that Rachel was purposely ignoring her, and her request.

“I said…” Chloe reached over, quickly grabbed the remote out of Rachel’s hand, and slammed her thumb down on the power button. “ _Turn it off!_ ” Chloe flung the remote violently at the wall. The impact was so harsh, the remote shattered. The back piece cracked, and fell off, separating itself from the front.

Rachel’s jaw dropped. “Dude!” She got up, walked behind the couch, and went to go pick up the two pieces of the remote. “What is _up_ with you?!” Rachel put the remote back together, and to Chloe’s annoyance, turned the TV back on. “If you don’t want to watch the news with me, that’s fine, but _I_ want to watch it. I’m interested to see who survived the storm, Chloe.”

Chloe stood up, and stormed off down the hallway. “I’m going out then.”

Rachel returned to the couch, and resumed her seat from before. “You don’t need to leave the house because I’m watching TV. We have more than one. You have a TV in your room, Chloe. Just go watch something in there.”

Chloe ignored Rachel’s advice, went in her bedroom, grabbed her blue studded hoodie, and slipped it on over her head. She tugged on the strings to tighten the hood, then put her ear plugs in. She picked up her smart phone off the nightstand, and hastily connected the cord into the device.

“I’ll be back later…” Chloe muttered as she gloomily went down the hallway, and started for the front door.

Rachel sighed, lifted up her hand that had the remote, and turned the TV off. She flung her arm behind the couch, letting it dangle lazily back, and forth. Frowning, she stared at the blank TV screen, and countered Chloe with a comeback of her own.

“I don’t know who you are right now, but you’re not the Chloe I remember running away with all those years ago.”

At that remark, Chloe’s hand fell away from the door knob. She turned on her heel, and marched herself right back into the living room where Rachel was at. She stopped by a lounge chair, not the couch. Rachel noted that, and arched an eyebrow at the other teen.

“What’s wrong Price? Afraid I’ll bite if you get too close?”

Narrowing her eyes just slightly, Chloe returned Rachel’s glare as she crossed her arms, and leaned against the side of the lounge chair. “You’re right.” Chloe shrugged one shoulder. “I’m not the Chloe you ran away with. Satisfied yet?”

Rachel tossed the remote onto a convenient pillow at the end of her feet. She got up, walked behind the couch, threading her fingertips along the top the leather. “No.” She admitted, stopping herself at the end of couch. “More like disappointed.” Rachel gestured at Chloe with one hand while other rested on her hip. “Just _listen_ to yourself. You’re upset, I get it. You have a right to be. We just learned our parents were killed in a horrible storm, that also wiped out our hometown. And I know you’re depressed about Max.”

The moment Max’s name fell from Rachel’s lips, the atmosphere shifted. Chloe caught her breath, and dug her nails into the fabric of the hoodie. Rachel saw the pained expression flicker across Chloe’s face, and way her body tensed up, but paid little attention to it.

“You literally were told about her passing the night before the storm hit and wiped out Arcadia Bay.” Rachel scowled seeing Chloe avert her eyes away from hers. “You need to talk to me Chloe. Let me know how you feel. Running away from this, from our problems isn’t going to help either of us, and yes Chloe, before you say anything, we both have problems.” Rachel placed her hand over her chest, highlighting herself for the moment. “I haven’t forgotten about mine, and thoroughly haven’t forgotten about yours. So, do us both a favor, don’t leave, and let’s talk about how you feel, like mature, young adults.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “You know, you’re starting to sound like my mother. Talking all mature like that.” Taking a slow, steady breath, Chloe relaxed her muscles, and gradually let her arms drop. As walked away, and began to head for the door again, Rachel got an irritated, determined look on her face.

“Good. At least _one_ of us does.”

Chloe froze, her mouth parted in shock, and her eyebrows arched up in anger. She twisted her neck, and shot Rachel a haunting expression. Making tight, balled up fists, Chloe turned completely around, and walked over to Rachel. “Listen!” She hissed through clenched teeth. “You think you know me?” Chloe’s voice rose, and her tone sharpened dramatically. “That you can just be Miss Perfect, and tell me how to live my life?!” Chloe jabbed her finger roughly into Rachel’s shoulder, causing Rachel’s shoulder to move back. “That you’re somehow better than me because you’re more accepting over what happened?!”

“What? Chloe, no.” Rachel raised her hand, and gently moved Chloe’s finger off her shoulder. “That’s not what I-”

“You don’t even know what I’ve been through! What I chose to do, so you could be here with me!”

Now Rachel was deeply confused, and it showed on her face as her eyes broadened. “Well, I would if you’d just tell me!” She managed to bark out, feeling the need to defend herself.

“ _Forget it!_ ” Chloe roared, whirling around, and stomping off with no intention of explaining her actions.

“Fine! Have it your way then! I don’t care!” Rachel shouted back, jerking her head to the side to glare at nothing.

Chloe slammed the door behind her, and continued walking to her car. Evidently, she had bought a car in her new reality. With what money, Chloe didn’t know. At the moment, she didn’t care. She just wanted to get away from anything that reminded her of Arcadia Bay. She had the keys, and was going to use them. Chloe entered the vehicle, and turned the volume up to max on her smartphone. She was listening to a band called, Piss Head, and their number one bestseller song, “Nothing Wrong”. The beat matched her mood perfectly, and Chloe had a feel for the lyrics. She looped the song as she drove around downtown L.A., but eventually took the earplugs out, and tossed her smart phone onto the passenger seat. Coming to a stop light, Chloe hastily brought the car to jerky stop. Clutching the steering wheel with her gloved hands, Chloe suddenly felt the unexpected pressure of tears in her eyes.

“I’m not upset. I’m fine. I made my decision, and I’m fine. Rachel’s alive, but Max is… is…”

Against her will, Chloe’s mind showed her a stream of past events with Max, starting from their childhood, clear up to her father’s death, and their final farewell. Then her thoughts shifted to the previous reality where Max was in the bed, in the hospital room while she sat in a chair, reading Max’s journal. Chloe hissed, and snapped her head to the right, struggling to clear her mind of those painful memories she didn’t want there.

“Max is dead. And if you had come back to Arcadia Bay that year, even just to stop by, and check in with her, she’d still be alive. Parting is _such_ sweet sorrow, isn’t?”

The familiar voice who confirmed what Chloe was about to say for herself filled the car out of nowhere. Chloe recognized the male voice, and it made the hair stand up on the back of Chloe’s neck, and chills run all over her body. Chloe’s eyes slowly widened, and her neck gradually turned in the direction of the voice. There, sitting in the passenger seat, holding her smartphone in his hand, was the native masked spirit she had seen in her vision.

“What the…” Chloe trailed off, shocked to find that she was paralyzed with fear. She swallowed a hard lump in her throat, and opened her mouth to talk again. “You’re the… the—”

The spirit chuckled softly, cutting her off. “Yes Chloe. I’m the spirit who visited you in the previous reality. Tell me Chloe Price, are you figuring out how this game works yet?”

The traffic light hadn’t changed yet, and Chloe found that very strange. She looked forward for a moment, to see why the traffic light hadn’t changed its color, only to find… that everything was frozen, and the entire atmosphere had lost its rich colors. The people walking down the streets, the cars behind her, even the downpour of rain, was all frozen in time. Chloe glanced left, right, then her disturbed gaze settled on the spirit beside her.

“What. Did. You. Do?”

The spirit shrugged. “What’s it to you? Why do you care what I did to the world around us? I asked you question, and I want an answer.”

Chloe looked completely behind her, through the back shield window to see if the cars, and the people in those cars were still frozen. She sighed, then looked back at the spirit. “I don’t regret anything.”

The spirit cocked his head and made a clicking noise with his tongue. “Regret? I never said anything about regrets. If you’re feeling remorseful about your choices, then that makes this all the more fascinating.” The spirit invaded Chloe’s space, and gently picked up one of Chloe’s hands off the steering wheel. It was the hand that contained her time power. He raised it up to eye level, so Chloe could see it. The hollow eye sockets on his face mask, began to burn like a furnace at midnight. Chloe gasped, frightened by this change in the spirit's mask. He slowly tilted his head, and at the precise moment, a crow’s cawing could be heard in the background. It didn’t come from inside the car, but Chloe’s ear distinctively heard a crow screaming, and that somehow made her encounter all the more terrifying.

“Don’t you see? No matter how many times you rewind, no matter how many realities are born, and are left behind, there is only one true reality where this all started. And in that reality, your father dies…”

Chloe’s hand tensed in his, and the spirit moved his masked face closer to hers on purpose. The heat from his burning eyes, was smothering Chloe. She moved her head away, and coughed, struggling to breathe properly.

“Your precious blue jay dies, and you, Chloe Price, _die_. Because I decided that fate _for you_.”

The voice of the spirit shifted, and became darker, with a double echo effect that made Chloe cry out in fear, and alarm.

“Go away! Leave me alone! Whoever you are, just leave me, and my friends alone!”

“Oh? You want to know who I am, do you?” The spirit slowly moved his head away from hers, and she saw how the spirit put his hands on the sides of his mask, and pull it up. “Very well. I’ll let you see my “face”.”

He kept going until he was unmasked, and the human face staring back at her, made Chloe’s eyes widen. She jerked her hand out of the spirit’s, and tried to get out of the car. The door was locked, frozen in time with everything else. She slammed her fist against the door handle, but it didn’t move or so much of get a dent from her aggressive pounding.

“You’re not him! You’re not!” Chloe screamed, feeling fresh tears spill down her face.

“Are you sure?”

He asked, staring at her with those burning eyes of fire, and a confident grin. Chloe shook her head, and started to feel herself hyperventilate. She couldn’t escape him, he had frozen time, and she was locked in the car with him. Chloe dipped her head, grabbed at her hair, and started to sob uncontrollably.

“Go away. He’s dead. You’re not him! Stop tormenting me!”

“You’re right. I’m not your father. My name is not William Price.”

The spirit stopped using William’s appearance, and replaced that face with a terrifying one instead, something Chloe did not see because she was doubled over, and had her eyes closed.

“ _My_ name… is Tubunga.” Tubunga moved his hand to the side, unfreezing the atmosphere, along with everything in it. Leaning in slightly, he growled viciously at Chloe, and delighted in seeing her tremble under his penetrating stare. “And this game we’re playing, is _far_ from over.”

The loud, annoyed hoking of cars behind her, brought Chloe out of her frightened state. Chloe’s eyes snapped open, and she jerked upright in her seat. She looked behind her seat, seeing the angry looks from the people in their vehicles.

“Tubunga?” She echoed softly, recognizing the name.

Despite half of the traffic blaring their horns at her to move along, Chloe remained still. She put her foot on the break pad, and turned to Tubunga, expecting to see him sitting in the passenger seat, but he was gone.

Taking a quick breath, Chloe muttered to herself, “I regret… nothing.” She put the char in gear, and clenched her jawline so hard, she felt her neck muscles pop. “Hmph. Max got everything she deserved. And so did Arcadia Bay!” Ignoring the outrage of traffic behind her Chloe looked up at the dark sky, blinked the remainder of her tears out of her eyes, and screamed at the top of her lungs, “You hear that Tubunga?! I regret nothing! If it’s a game you want, then it’s a game you’ll get it! I chose Rachel, and this life, in this current reality. So, you know what? Your move, spirit boy! Surprise me!”

In truth, Chloe was terrified of Tubunga, but she was also mad that he got her so worked up. She said those words with sincerity, even though she might regret them later. Chloe squared her shoulders, faced forward, and drove off at alarming speed, causing many of the people in the cars, and on the sidewalks to stare after her in a distressed, confused silence.

 

* * *

 

It was pushing midnight by the time Chloe came staggering through the front door, head bent back, with the rim of a rum bottle pressed into her lips. Rachel was up, like a good friend, waiting on Chloe to come home. She had texted, and called Chloe’s phone for hours. She was worried about Chloe, concerned about her mental stability, and wanted to finish their conversation from earlier. That would have to wait. Chloe was completely wasted, sloshed out of her mind, and the strong fumes on her clothes, told Rachel she had been drinking the hard stuff. Rolling her eyes, Rachel got up from her cozy position on the couch, and met Chloe by the front door. She reached out to steady Chloe with one hand, while her other hand stretched behind Chloe to shut the front door. Rachel paused, and saw the front windshield of Chloe’s car. The glass was shattered, looked like it would burst out at any moment. Rachel’s eyes trailed down, past the wind shield blades, and when she saw the extra damage on the car she made a pained face. The driver side of the front of the car, was dented, and one the headlights were missing.

“What happened to the car?” Rachel asked in a stern voice, increasing her grip around Chloe’s forearm.

Chloe felt Rachel’s fingers tighten, but she acted like Rachel’s feelings didn’t matter. Shrugging a lazy shoulder, Chloe lifted the bottle back up to her mouth to take a long sip of the rum. “Hit a deer coming home.”

Rachel arched an eyebrow at the busted car, and scoffed lightly. “Must have been some deer to damage the front of the car like that.” Rachel glanced at Chloe from the corner of her eyes. “Was it a male?”

“Nope. It was a doe.” Chloe grinned against the rim of bottle, proud of herself.  “The impact was so strong, I killed it. Didn’t care. It got in my way, it deserved to die for its stupidity.” Chloe muttered using the side of her mouth, seeing as the front of her lips were busy savoring the sweet rum. “Why do you care, huh Rachel? It’s not your car.”

Rachel turned her head, and stared at the drunk teen for a moment. “No. It’s not my car.” She quietly admitted, looking back at the car. “But _I_ paid for it, with _my_ money. This isn’t exactly the best way to show you’re grateful for that investment, but whatever. We’ll call the insurance company tomorrow, and see about getting it fixed.” Rachel shut the door, then assessed the other girl she was trying to keep balanced. “You look like crap.” Rachel softly remarked, gently pulling Chloe closer to her. “Did you at least enjoy yourself while you were getting hammered, and killing your liver?” 

“Yeah. I did.” Chloe brought her hand up, and patted Rachel’s cheek. “Thanks for asking.”

Chloe’s arm dropped suddenly, and her hand twitched, causing her to drop the empty bottle of rum. She stumbled backwards, tripped over her own feet, then pitched forward, right into Rachel. Rachel caught Chloe with ease. Getting a serious look on her face, Rachel skimmed her hands down Chloe’s sides, then she wrapped her arms firmly around Chloe’s waist. Rachel sighed as she subtly kicked bottle out of their way, and off to the side.

“You’re lucky that I love you so much.” Rachel whispered in Chloe’s ear, and Chloe groaned, instantly broken by her.

Just hearing the softness in Rachel’s voice, and the gentle feel of her hands massaging her back, reassured Chloe that everything was going to be all right. Chloe dropped her head onto Rachel’s shoulder, and sloppily caved her arms around Rachel’s neck. She hiccupped in Rachel’s neck three times in a row, then whimpered dependently. Rachel stood there, allowing Chloe to rest, and continued to run her hands up, and down Chloe’s back. Chloe gradually nodded off, unaware that she had done it. Her deep breathing filled the small space, and managed to bring a tender smile to Rachel’s lips.

“You’re such a difficult friend to please anymore. Look at you. You’re a mess, but…” Rachel trailed off, and leaned back so she could kiss Chloe on the head. “You’re _my_ mess. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Rachel took advantage of Chloe being asleep, and delicately pressed her cheek, against Chloe’s flushed one. She nuzzled her for a few seconds, then twisted half way around to gaze down the hallway.

“Come on.” Rachel sighed, carefully dragging Chloe’s limp body to her bedroom. “You’re sleeping with me tonight. I don’t trust you to sleep alone. You might wake up, and try to leave, and go do something stupid.”

Chloe’s response to Rachel was another hiccup. It was much softer this time. Rachel shook her head, laughed out loud, then found herself grinning for no reason. “Chloe, you picked the wrong night to get drunk. I have photoshoot tomorrow. My agent won’t be happy if I miss it. I don’t want to screw up this opportunity, and I definitely don’t want you to be here, alone, by yourself tomorrow.” Rachel smiled hearing the start of a snore. “Hmm. It’s supposedly private. Only official staff, models, and photographers will be allowed on the set. Maybe I can work it out that you can come along for the ride if you’re still hung over, and make something up to convince them to let you stay. You normally enjoy going to my photoshoots, so this time shouldn’t be any different. You’ll just be hungover for once. No biggie. I got this.”

Chloe mumbled in her drunken sleep, words Rachel didn’t understand. When they finally made it to her room, Rachel helped Chloe out of her clothes, and dressed her for bed. She gently laid Chloe on her side, and at last minute, put a trash by the head of the bed, just in case Chloe threw up. Rachel crawled in behind Chloe, hugged her from behind, and gently pressed her forehead into Chloe’s shoulder blade. Rachel listened to Chloe’s hollow breathing, allowing it to soothe her to sleep, when she felt like someone was watching her. She suddenly sat up on the bed, turned her head, and saw the outline figure of a native masked man. His eyes were on fire, and he had an unnerving presence that made Rachel’s stomach twist up in knots.

Swallowing a nervous lump in her throat, Rachel opened her mouth to ask him how he had gotten into the house, but he rushed at her, starling her. She arched her neck back in shock, terrified of him. Instinctively, Rachel’s body loomed over Chloe’s, despite her fear of the native masked man.

“Don’t touch her.” Rachel’s warned, hugging Chloe closer.

Tubunga tilted his head at Rachel, and chuckled faintly. Rachel’s voice was shaky, barely a threat at all.

“I’m not going to touch her. It’s _you_ I want.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. “Who are you?”

Tubunga didn’t answer her. He thrust out his hand, and pressed his fingertips against the base of Rachel’s forehead. “Someone you should respect, but never trust.”

Those were the last words Rachel heard, before her entire world went dark.


End file.
